My name is Toru Tagawa, and I am the orchestra director.

For Information about Cross Middle School Orchestra, please find Cross at this website, as I am also teaching at Canyon del Oro High School, the website has HS information as well. https://cdoorchestra.com/

Mr. Tagawa, from Hiroshima, Japan, started playing the violin at age 6, and joined the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra at age 9. He received his Violin Performance degrees from the University of Tulsa (BM) and the Florida State University (MM), and a Music Education degree (MME) from the University of Arizona. His main violin teachers include Steven Moeckel, Gary Kosloski, Eliot Chapo, Derry Deane, and Mikio Ejima.

Mr. Tagawa is the Music Director and Conductor of the Tucson Repertory Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra and  Director of the Canyon del Oro High School Orchestra. His conducting teachers include Thomas Cockrell, Charles Bontrager, Jung-Ho Pak, and Maurice Peress. Toru made his debut at Carnegie Hall in March, 2017.

An active violinist, he performs with the Tucson Symphony, Tucson Pops, Arizona Opera Orchestras, and has played with National Repertory (CO), Shreveport (LA), Arkansas, Tallahassee (FL), AIMS (Austria), Hiroshima (Japan) ,and Vancouver (Canada) Symphony Orchestras. Toru is the Past-President of the American String Teachers Association of Arizona.