Japanese-American violinist Chihiro Kakishima is a highly sought-after soloist, chamber collaborator, educator, and teacher. She has worked with orchestras across the U.S., including the Rochester Philharmonic, Syracuse Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, and the Lansing Symphony Orchestras. Concerto engagements with the Ann Arbor Symphony and Michigan Pops Orchestras garnered her appearances in Hill Auditorium and the Michigan Theater. Summer festival appearances include Pacific Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, Colorado College, Bach Virtuosi Festival, and Chautauqua Summer Festival, the last of which she served as concertmaster and principal second.
A decorated chamber musician, Chihiro has collaborated with many world-class artists across the U.S. and Japan. Some highlights include performances with Ani Kavafian, Paul Neubauer, Brinton Smith, the Ying Quartet, Renée Jolles, Tony Caramia, Curtis Stewart, Awadagin Pratt, Aaron Berofsky, Kathryn Votapek, Amy Cheng, Anthony Elliott, and Yizhak Schotten. She is regularly called upon by students and faculty to perform in their recitals, including the Morning Chamber Music series celebrating Eastman's centennial year as well as performing regularly on Eastman's faculty recitals featuring everything from period instruments to new music. These have resulted in her earning Peter Salaff Prize in Chamber Music, an award given to outstanding chamber musicians at the Eastman School of Music.
Well-rounded in her musical activity, Chihiro's interests span from Baroque to Contemporary. In June of 2023, she was an artist invited to serve as principal second violin at the Bach Virtuosi Festival Orchestra, performing works by Handel and Bach. In April of 2024, at the Eastman School of Music, she performed Clara Schumman's Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 11 on period instruments in a symposium entitled "Encounters with the Schumanns: Listening, Thinking, Interpreting." She also presented a joint lecture recital in 2023 on contemporary Korean composer Hyo-Shin Na's music at the Composers in Asia Symposium and Festival at the University of South Florida.
Teaching has been a passion for Chihiro since she moved to Rochester, New York. She can be found teaching in various capacities, including her graduate assistantship teaching college students at the Eastman School of Music, chamber coachings at the University of Rochester's chamber music program, and private violin lessons at the Eastman Community Music School. In addition, she holds a Visiting Assistant Professorship at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York - Potsdam for the 2024 Fall semester.
After attending the University of Michigan for her Bachelors' degree - double majoring in violin performance with Aaron Berofsky and biomolecular science with an international studies minor - she received her Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, New York. She has served as teaching assistant to Renée Jolles since entering the school in 2020, while also maintaining current candidacy for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.
Aside from music, Chihiro is passionate about making Japanese food and sweets, and enjoys ice skating when she can. She is a lover of many things, but none more so than her family's beloved miniature white schnauzer, Haku. In her free time, she can often be found playing, cuddling, or frolicking with him at her family's Indiana home.