Kyoko Takezawa

Violin
1st place at 51st Music Competition of Japan while at Toho Gakuen Music High School; 1986 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis winner. Collaborated with: the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, London Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Royal Concertgebow orchestras; Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Charles Dutoit, and Seiji Ozawa. She recently participated in the Mito Chamber Orchestra. Resident artist of Shiiki presents Argerich’s Haus. She plays an Antonio Stradivarius (1724). Professor at Tokyo College of Music; specially appointed professor at Toho Gakuen School of Music.

Chiharu Taki

Violin
Winner of international competitions, including the Menuhin International Competition. Performs at festivals and recitals across countries including Japan, Germany, France, Switzerland, Hungary, and as a soloist collaborating with conductors such as Hubert Soudant, Gerd Albrecht, Seiji Ozawa. Was the first artist chosen for Pictet Asset Management’s patronage program. In 2019, was short-term concertmistress of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester. Her 2023 CD Prokofiev Story was endorsed by Record Geijutsu magazine and won an Ontomo Mook Record Academy Award.

Rei Tsujimoto

Cello
Winner of 2nd place and Audience Prize at the 72nd Music Competition of Japan. Held debut recitals in five cities including at Suntory Hall in Tokyo in 2011. Winner of the 2013 Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award. Released the CD Oblivion in 2019 (endorsed by Record Geijutsu magazine). He plays a 1730 Antonio Stradivarius from the Munetsugu Collection with a Tourte bow on a special loan from the Yasushi Sumino Collection. Currently principal cello of the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

Gi Lee

Clarinet
Gi Lee was a member of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, and served as an associate musician with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York. He has performed at the PyeongChang and Tongyeong Music Festivals in Korea. He is currently a faculty member at Temple University and performs as a guest musician with both the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra. Each summer, he appears at the Grand Teton Music Festival and performs with the Going Home Project Orchestra in Korea.

Hiroshi Kato

Piano
Tokyo University of the Arts alumnus. 1990 Geneva Intl. Music Competition 3rd place; studied at Liszt Academy and in Cologne. Appeared with the Hungarian Natl. Philharmonic., Budapest Philharmonic, Bulgarian National Radio and Helsingborg symphony orchestras, on national public Hungarian TV, ORF, BBC, Télévision Suisse Romande, in Wiener Festwochen, Limousin Intl. Chamber Music Festival, and Prague Spring and March Music Days intl. festivals. Performs as soloist and chamber musician and in recordings. 2019 Agency for Cultural Affairs National Arts Festival grand prize winner.