Considered one of the greatest euphonium soloists in the world, Shoichiro Hokazono was born in Kagoshima City, Japan (1969). He is a graduate of the Shobi Conservatory in Tokyo (1994) where he studied with Toru Miura. He then continued his studies under Kaoru Tsuyuki and Steven Mead. After winning the 1st prize and grand prize at the 9th Japan Wind and Percussion Competition (1992), he won 1st prize at the Philip Jones International Competition in Guebwiller, France (1997).
 Hokazono has appeared as guest recitalist at the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference (ITEC) held at the Northwestern University, Chicago (1995), and awarded "Euphonium Player of the Year" at the Tuba and Euphonium Conference held in Great Britain (1997). He has performed as a special guest in the recital series, "from Bach to Contemporary Music (B to C), "at Tokyo Opera City (2000), and he was a member of the Saito-KinenOrchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa (2002).
 He has been presenting master classes not only in Japan but also in Foreign countries such as the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris,France (Nov. 2002), and he has been performing around the world including Europe, U.S.A., and Asia. Moreover, he has recorded five solo CDs as well as appearing a great number of recordings as a guest soloist.
 He plays solo euphonium in the Central Band of the Japan Air Self Defense Forces, while aggressively promoting-and challenging-new possibilities of the euphonium's.