Born to a Japanese mother and Norwegian father, I was raised in an artist loft in NYC’s East Village. After graduating from Juilliard, I performed with the Pacifica Quartet for 17 years and am now a Professor of Viola at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY. My active performing career spans more than two decades as a soloist and chamber musician and I’ve performed thousands of concerts, many of them in the most prestigious concert venues and music festivals across the globe. Some of the accolades for these performances and numerous recordings that I am most proud of include a GRAMMY, Musical America ‘Ensemble Of The Year’, Avery Fisher Career Grant, Third Street Music School Settlement “Rising Star” award, and a special invitation to perform for the Supreme Court of the United States. My viola was crafted by Girolamo Amati in 1619 in Cremona, Italy. I am a D’Addario Artist and I performed on this recording using their Kaplan Forza strings.