Anju aoto

Japanese clarinetist and bass clarinetist Anju Aoto performs with the Juilliard Orchestra, Juilliard Opera, Juilliard AXIOM, BeComeEnsemble, and Village Verein on clarinet, bass clarinet, and contrabass clarinet. At age 20, she received an "Honorable Mention" in the Silverstein Clarinet Competition in 2023. During her time at Juilliard, Anju collaborated with conductors such as Jörg Widmann, Jeffrey Milarsky, and John Adams. She also held mentorship positions at the Juilliard Music Advancement Program and Juilliard Pre-College.

Anju is a sought-after performer in contemporary music, one of her many passions. Recent premieres include Ben Rieke’s Anodyne for wind quintet (2023), Joy Redmond’s Conflux for 15 players (2023), Jonah Cohen’s Fantasia on “Avinu Malkeinu” for Pierrot ensemble and percussion (2023), Yuri Umemoto’s Ghosts and Filter for two clarinets, and Psychedelic Candy for solo clarinet, the latter of which is featured on the composer’s album Dream Sandwich (2020). Anju was featured in Juilliard’s THE NEW SERIES in the 2023-2024 season, where she performed Alvin Singleton’s Argoru V/a for solo bass clarinet alongside a dancer at the Chelsea Factory. The concert featured Alvin Singleton's Argoru I - IX as a multidisciplinary collaboration between choreographers, dancers, and musicians.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Anju spent her childhood in Kansas City, MO. She began studying violin at the age of 5 at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance Academy, and won the Dorothy Zimmer Scholarship. She returned to Japan at age 10, where she joined the Setagaya Junior Orchestra as a violist and began clarinet and bass clarinet lessons simultaneously. After graduating from the Music High School Attached to the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts (GEIDAI) in 2021, Anju enrolled in GEIDAI’s Practical Music Program (Artist Diploma) and became their youngest-ever student in the program. She studied clarinet with Hidemi Mikai and Michiyo Satoh throughout her time at GEIDAI and its affiliated high school, and is currently completing her undergraduate studies at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Charles Neidich. Also from this summer, Anju Joined the Clarinet Lead Faculty at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts.