Renowned as "The Rockstar of the Flute" by the Informador de Guadalajara in Mexico, Mexican-Japanese American flutist Ráyo Furuta stands as a captivating artist and performer of global acclaim with command over the classical, contemporary, world, jazz, and pop realms.
At the remarkably young age of 25, Furuta was officiated as a cultural ambassador to the United States of America. Since then, he has showcased his virtuosity as both a performer and educator on the international stage, gracing audiences in Mexico, Japan, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and across the Middle East and North America. His prestigious performances include those with Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Ensemble, American Composer's Forum, The United Nations, and the celebrated Annapolis, Banff, Icicle Creek, Mainly Mozart, Opera en la Calle, Okayama, Saarburg, Sarasota, Silicon Valley, and Yellowbarn Music Festivals to name only a few.
Furuta's dynamic presence extends to solo performances, frequently appearing as a concerto soloist specializing in the contemporary concerti by composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Yuko Uebayashi, and Paul Schoenfield. As a touring solo recitalist and alongside is longtime duo partner Michelle Cann, he has masterfully interpreted the cornerstones of the flute repertoire, while simultaneously building it with his own arrangements and compositions.
As a dedicated chamber musician he has performed alongside luminaries like Jon Nakamatsu, Peter Frankl, and members of acclaimed string quartets like Avalon, Brooklyn Rider, Kronos, Mendelssohn, and Emerson. Additionally, his passion for global music has led to performances with superstars Van Anh Vo (Danh Tranh), Sandeep Das (Indian Tabla), Vijay Gopal (Bansuri), Merima Kljuco (Accordion), Ghassan Sahhab (Qanun), and Christina Pato (Galacian Bagpipe) to name only a few. He is also a member of the Mexico-city based Contemporary Mexican Jazz Band, Toktli, and is a leading-artist-member of the Common Sounds ensemble.
Furuta serves as a Professor of Flute and Chamber Music at San Jose State University. Formerly and for a decade starting at the age of 25, he was the Lecturer of Performance Practice and Community Engagement at Santa Clara University, where he was honored (2023) with a distinguished faculty award for his commitment to serving marginalized communities. He has also shared his expertise through residencies and master classes at esteemed institutions worldwide, including the Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford University, Lebanese American University of Beirut, University of Guadalajara, and many more. Additionally, he has served as a Visiting Professor of Flute at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Ráyo Furuta has channeled his passion for community and civic engagement into a substantial part of his musical journey. Through his "Mas Amor Arts" initiative, he has consistently undertaken initiatives aimed at underserved communities, including involvement in local juvenile detention centers and collaborative endeavors benefiting homeless women of color and California's Farmworkers. Furthermore, he has instituted an annual project in marginalized areas of Tijuana, Mexico, offering music education to youth as a means of diverting them from the streets. His commitment extends globally, as he has also delivered performances to Syrian refugees in the Middle East.
Recognized as a distinguished curator, Furuta assumes the role of Executive Artistic Director for Chamber Music Silicon Valley, a preeminent arts organization in California. Additionally, he oversees the weekly Music@Noon concert series at Santa Clara University. His innovative spirit and commitment to advancing the arts earned him the 2024 Music Teacher's National Association 'Power of Innovation Award,' the prestigious Silicon Valley '2018 X-Factor Arts Prize', which lauds entrepreneurial and creative ideas in the arts sector, as well as the 2019 "On the Stage" Artist Laureate of SVCreates, a recognition that identifies Silicon Valley's foremost artists based on their exceptional work quality and dedication to enriching the community.
A recipient of the prestigious Staller Scholar and distinguished alumni "40 under 40" awards, Ráyo Furuta holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University, where he was a direct pupil of Carol Wincenc and the Emerson String Quartet. He was also heavily influenced by other mentors such as flutists Isabelle Chapuis, Jill Felber, and Elena Yarritu, harpsichordist Arthur Haas, and violinist Philip Setzer and is also an alumnus of the Multicultural Artist Leadership Institute (MALI).
Ráyo Furuta is a Burkart Artist and exclusively performs on a Lilian Burkart 9k gold flute.
