Kanoko Nishi-Smith

piano, koto

Kanoko Nishi-Smith is a performer currently based in SF/Bay Area. Though classically trained on piano, receiving a BA in Classical Music Performance from Mills College, her recent interest has primarily been in performing 20th century and contemporary musical compositions for piano as well as for koto (Japanese 13-string zither), and free-improvisation in various different contexts, with musicians, as well as dancers, poets,
and visual artists.

Upcoming Events:

16May

Saturday, May 16 2026 7:30 PM

Ohlone Park [1601 Hearst Ave Berkeley, CA 94703]
Wendy Reid's Ambient Bird-Ohlone Park 2026 with sfSOUND,the bird ensembe,and Brenda Hutchinson’s Dailybell at sunset:
musicians:
Lulu, African Grey parrot
Wendy Reid, violin
Krys Bobrowski, gilsglas
Brenda Hutchinson, long tube
Aurora Josephson, voice
Ron Heglin, tuba
Kanoko Nishi-Smith, koto
David Samas, percussion
Diane Grubbe, flute
Tom Djll, trumpet
John Ingle, saxophone
David Michalak, skatchbirds
Jacob Felix Heule, percussion More...

8Jun

Monday, June 8 2026 8:00 PM

Dead End Vintage [3370 19th St. San Francisco]
a line up of improvisational noise

Ava Koohbar, Kanoko Nishi-Smith, Danishta Rivero, Jordan Blankenship, K Francis Messer, Kaitlin McSweeney, Domi Nigro More...

CDs on which Kanoko Nishi-Smith appears:

Artist

Title

Label

Number

oakland reductionist orchestra

west and east baying

Queen Bee Records

Bruckmann/Heule/Nishi-Smith/Rivero

negligiblism

Full Spectrum Records

FS158

Bruckmann/Djll/Heule/Nishi-Smith

Brittle Feebling

Bandcamp

The Emergency String (X)tet meet Rent Romus

Emergency Rental

Edgetone Records

EDT4100

Serving the San Francisco Bay Area New Music Community