Yoshiko Nakura
Violin
Yoshiko Nakura graduated from Toho Gakuen Music High School and College with highest honors. She continued to study music on a scholarship at the Julliard School of Music where she formed Tokyo String Quartet. Under the coaching of Julliard Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet won the first prize both at ARD International Music Competition Munich and The Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition. The quartet toured around the world, appeared in many international music festivals, and released their recordings on Deutsche Grammophon label. Their debut album received the Grand Prix du Disque Montreux. After leaving the Tokyo String Quartet, she expanded her activity as a soloist as well as an educator in Europe and in the United States. She frequently performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and participated in the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont. At the same time, she taught at the Philadelphia Musical Academy, the Smith College and the Hamburg Conservatory. Later, she became a guest concertmaster of Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and played as a member of Bamberg String Quintet. After spending 20 years abroad, she returned to Japan and joined the Nippon Octet, the Mito Chamber Orchestra and the Saito Kinen Orchestra. She currently teaches at Toho Gakuen School of Music after teaching at Ferris University as a Professor. She regularly gives recitals and plays in chamber music concert series.
(As of June 2014)
(As of June 2014)
