Player Biographies: Keiko Okamoto, Flute

Keiko Okamoto grew up in Hokkaido, Japan, where she began her musical journey at age six, studying the piano. At age 13 she took up the flute.  She graduated with Honors in Music Performance
from College of the Arts at Nihon University Tokyo, where she also studied piano and voice. Keiko's commitment to music led her to serve in the Japanese Army for five years, lending her musical abilities to the Eastern Army Band and the Central Army Band. This set the stage for international travel, eventually landing her in the United States. Her sojourn here began with jazz studies at the  Berklee College of Music in Boston, leading her next to branch out into salsa and mariachi. Her affiliations with the Mariachi Divas and other ensembles brought her to stages including Disneyland, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Hollywood Bowl, while in the classical realm, she lent her talents to the Brentwood Symphony, the Fullerton Symphony, the San Fernando Symphony, and of course the Palisades Symphony.

Keiko's passion for music extends to teaching, where her influence has reached Hollywood luminaries including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, and Busy Philipps. Keiko also offers group jazz lessons to adults in Beverly Hills, sharing the magic of this musical genre. She works as a professional studio musician and has performed with notable talents such as Snoop Dogg. She is also a proud member of Mariachi Romanza.

Keiko's life story is one of harmony, melody, and rhythm; a testament to the power of unwavering passion and the transcendence of musical borders.