NEWS​

Saya Ikeda (violin) Graduated from Kyoto Municipal Kyoto Horikawa Music High School. After graduating from Kyoto City University of Arts, she completed a master's course in string music at the Graduate School of the Graz University of the Arts in Austria. She was selected for the string instrument category at the 14th Osaka International Music Competition, placed second at the 20th Kumagusu no Sato Music Competition, received an encouragement award in the string instrument category at the 16th Japan Performers Competition, and placed first at the 4th King's Peak International Musik Competition. She studied violin under the late Naomi Ishida, Reiko Tachibana, the late Nobu Wakabayashi, Akiko Ikegawa, Takashi Izumihara, and Eszter Haffner.

Mao Kawamura (violin) After graduating from the music department of Hyogo Prefectural Nishinomiya High School, she graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts. She was selected for the Osaka competition of the high school division of the 66th All-Japan Student Music Competition. She received an Encouragement Award at the 16th Japan Performers Competition. She completed M. Frischenschlager's master class at the Salzburg Mozarteum University Summer Academy and obtained a diploma. She has also participated in numerous seminars both in Japan and abroad. She is currently actively performing solo, chamber music, and orchestral music, mainly in the Kansai region. She is a member of the Nishinomiya Music Association.

Minami Yamazaki (Viola) began playing the violin at the age of three. Graduated from the Music Department of Soai High School and the Faculty of Music of Soai University. Selected to perform at both the school and university's graduation concerts. Graduated from Senzoku Gakuen College of Music's Ensemble Academy. Won third place in the Kansai finals of the 2012 All Japan Arts Competition. She has studied violin with Kyoko Kikumoto and Akiko Ikegawa, and chamber music with Takashi Nagamine. She currently performs as a freelance musician based in the Kansai region.

Mutsuhisa Yamauchi (Cello) completed the Master's program at the Kyoto City University of Arts Graduate School of Music. He has studied under Yui Arai, Tetsuyuki Uno, and Kaeko Mukoyama, and chamber music under Reiko Morita. He won the Grand Prize and the Kobe Mayor's Award at the 27th Kobe International Music Competition. He placed third in Age-G at the 25th Osaka International Music Competition. He is a cellist with the Kyoto Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, a Koshi Ruby Artist, and a lecturer at the Fukui Junior String Ensemble Seminar. He currently works in the orchestral and chamber music fields based in Kansai and Fukui, while also teaching the next generation of musicians.