Born in 2011, Japan (Age 13).
HIMARI has been described as a “once-in-a-generation talent”, captivating the global classical music scene as a sensational teen with her exceptional technique, imaginative interpretations, and deep expressiveness.
In March 2025, she will make her debut as the youngest Asian soloist in a subscription concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker.
She began playing the violin at the age of three, studying under Koichiro Harada and Machie Oguri. At six, she performed with a professional orchestra, and in 2022, she became the youngest student admitted to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She is currently studying under Ida Kavafian, a world-renowned mentor who has nurtured many leading soloists, further deepening her musical expression.
HIMARI has won top prizes in numerous international competitions, including the Lipinski & Wieniawski International Violin Competition (Grand Prix), Arthur
Grumiaux International Violin Competition, Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition, and Schelkunchik International Music Competition.
In 2019, she became the youngest performer at the Salzburg Festival, and in 2023, she won the Public Award at Mini Violini in Montreal. Even at a young age, she has performed on major stages worldwide, receiving high acclaim.
She has performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, Russian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Kyiv Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, and Gunma Symphony Orchestra. She has worked with esteemed conductors including Marin Alsop, Keri-Lynn Wilson, Vladimir Spivakov, Nikolai Jajura, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Junichi Hirokami, Tatsuya Shimono, Keitaro Harada, Toshiaki Umeda, Kenichiro Kobayashi, Naoto Otomo, Kosuke Tsunoda, Kanade Yokoyama, and Motonori Kobayashi.
Since 2024, she has been represented by KD SCHMID, a leading German music agency, further expanding her international career. In December 2024, at just 13 years old, she will embark on her nationwide recital tour, “HIMARI Violin Recital Tour 2024” (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka). Alongside performances with major orchestras in Japan, she is also set to appear in 2025 at the Ravinia Festival, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, followed by her Chicago Symphony Orchestra subscription concert debut in February 2026.
In March 2025, HIMARI signed an exclusive contract with the prestigious Decca Classics, marking the beginning of a new phase in her artistic journey. On the same day, she released her debut recording, broadening her artistic scope and exploring new possibilities of musical expression.
She is a recipient of the 52nd Ezoe Memorial Recruit Foundation Scholarship.
HIMARI performs on the 1717 “Hamma” Stradivarius (on generous loan from Yusaku Maezawa) and uses a bow on loan from the Munetsugu Collection.