Ian Cleworth and Riley Lee formed Taikoz in 1997. Over the past twenty-six years, the group has developed a wide and original repertoire of works and productions that has seen them perform on the stages of Australia’s finest concert halls, in the theatres of regional Australia, and in leading theatres and concert halls worldwide. Taikoz has performed in Japan, Paris, Bangkok, Taiwan, Abu Dhabi, and the USA where the ensemble headlined the Taiko Nation concerts at the 2014 World Taiko Gathering in Los Angeles. Most recently Taikoz toured India, receiving much critical acclaim for CHI UDAKA, their collaboration with Lingalayam Dance Company.   

Esteemed collaborators include composers Sandy Evans, Lachlan Skipworth, Gerard Brophy, Andrea Molino and Michael Askill, and artists as diverse as John Bell and the Bell Shakespeare Company, taiko greats Eitetsu Hayashi, Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Chieko Kojima and Kaoru Watanabe, the Sydney Improvisers Composers Kollektiv Orchestra, First Nations Artist Waangenga Blanco, art-music ensembles Synergy Percussion and Ensemble Offspring, as well as distinguished choreographers Meryl Tankard and Anandavalli. The group has also collaborated with Kodo on a nation-wide tour of Australia.