Arisa Makita is a euphonium soloist based in Los Angeles, originally from Tokyo, Japan. She studied at Kunitachi College of Music in Japan under Mitsuru Saito and Toru Miura, both of whom played a major role in shaping her musical foundation. She later studied with Doug Tornquist and Jim Self at the USC Thornton School of Music.
She has received numerous accolades, including First Prize in the Electronic Music Division at the 2019 International Tuba Euphonium Conference, Second Prize in the Euphonium Artist Division at ITEC 2023, and First Prize in the USC Thornton Concerto Competition in 2023, which led to a solo performance with the Thornton Winds.
As a soloist, Arisa has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. At ITEC 2025 in Valencia, she presented a featured solo recital, premiering three new works written for her by composers Maria Newman, Yasna Vismale, and Natsuko Shinkawa. She has also performed as a member of the Japanese euphonium quartet OrigAmi. The ensemble released its debut album in 2023, followed by a second album in June 2025, and continues to perform internationally.
In 2024, Arisa presented a solo recital at the International Women’s Brass Conference in Mito, Japan, where she premiered Sonata for Euphonium and Piano by David Conte. She completed the Graduate Certificate Program at the USC Thornton School of Music in 2024 and received the USC Thornton Outstanding Graduate Award. She has also collaborated with the online educational platform Tonebase, contributing to the development of euphonium instructional content.
In addition to performing, Arisa is actively engaged as an educator and adjudicator. She judged the Euphonium Artist Division at ITEC in June 2025 and served as a judge at the Thailand World Music Championship in 2025, one of the largest music competitions in East Asia. She has given masterclasses as part of an online festival hosted in Brazil, judged marching band competitions in Thailand, and worked with student marching bands in Taiwan.
Arisa was also the winner of the Beverly Hills National Auditions and will perform in January 2026 as part of the Music in the Mansion concert series at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.