French-born flutist Suizan J.-F. Lagrost studied concert flute in Mulhouse and Paris. Winner of several national and international competitions, he plays repertoires ranging from baroque to contemporary music, jazz and improvisation. He also studied Musicology in Sorbonne University, where he achieved a DEA in 20th century music. He began shakuhachi in 2000 with Grand Master Sōzan Kariya (Tozan style). Mitsuko Nakao, the granddaughter of the founder of the school, awarded him in 2014 the title of Dai-Shihan. He has since completed his apprenticeship by meeting masters from different schools. The diversity of his expertise results in him appearing in a variety of musical contexts; flute recitals, as a soloist with large classical ensembles as well as with the best traditional musicians on European stages and beyond. Professor of art education at the conservatories of Le Kremlin-Bicêtre and Gentilly near Paris, Suizan J.-F. Lagrost enjoys an international career in traditional, contemporary or mixed repertoires. In 2013, he released a Japanese chamber music CD entitled "Kyoku" with the koto player Mieko Miyazaki.