Nozomi Omote is a Japanese percussionist, educator, composer, and improviser based in Australia. Equally at home in orchestral, chamber, jazz, and experimental settings, she is known for her versatile musicianship and collaborative approach to contemporary performance.
Nozomi holds a Master of Music Studies in Percussion Performance from the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, where she received the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence. Her artistic voice was shaped through studies with leading percussionists Prof. Vanessa Tomlinson and Tom O’Kelly, fostering a creative practice that balances technical excellence with artistic curiosity.
Throughout her career, Nozomi has performed with a wide range of ensembles, including Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and Sophie Min Orchestra. Her work spans traditional concert performance, new music, improvisation, recording projects, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
She is the co-founder of Shugorei, an experimental music duo with award-winning composer Dr Thomas Green. Their work explores the intersection of percussion, electronics, improvisation, and storytelling, creating immersive and genre-defying musical experiences. Her collaborative projects have also included performances and recordings with Trichotomy, Clocked Out, and Ensemble Sooon.
Alongside her performing career, Nozomi is a passionate educator and mentor. She serves as Percussion Coordinator at St Peters Lutheran College, tutors with the Queensland Youth Orchestra, and was a sessional staff member of the Queensland Conservatorium percussion department from 2012 to 2025. Through her teaching and artistic work, she is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians while continuing to explore new possibilities in percussion performance.
Reviews
A special mention to percussionist Nozomi Omote, who seamlessly handled an incredible amount of instruments and percussion mallets throughout Ngapa William Cooper, including less conventional instruments such as eucalyptus branches. – Backstreet Brisbane
Percussionist Nozomi Omote’s role is a feat of staggering difficulty. Westlake has crammed four percussion parts into one. Charmingly, the rustle of eucalyptus leaves into a mic conjures the Aussie bush. – Gillian Wills
There was plenty of flash to the orchestration, too, with virtuoso solo contributions from many section leaders, especially percussionist Nozomi Omote. Omote always seemed to be moving to some contrasting instrument and sometimes played two at once. – Tim Passmore
Nozomi Omote 