Risa Hokamura

“virtuosity, impressive accuracy, and technical mastery”

– The Strad

Risa Hokamura began studying the violin at the age of three and, by ten, had captured top prizes in competitions throughout her native Japan. She gained international recognition at seventeen after winning the 2018 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, where she also received the Tannery Pond Concerts Prize, The Ruth Laredo Memorial Prize, and The Ronald A. Asherson Prize. That same year, she won the Silver Medal at the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, performing with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin.

Since then, Risa has appeared as concerto soloist with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Kennett Symphony, The Apollo Orchestra, Muncie Symphony Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Kanagawa Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Kansai Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, and Sapporo Symphony. Last season she appeared as soloist with Symphonicity in Virginia Beach, and this season she will perform Brahms’s Violin Concerto with the Aiken Symphony.

Her recital debuts include Merkin Hall in New York City, The Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater in Washington, D.C., and Kioi Hall in Tokyo, where she recently performed all six Ysaÿe Sonatas. She has also performed recitals at Ithaca College, Buffalo Chamber Music Society, The Morgan Library & Museum, Port Washington Library, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, and University of Florida Performing Arts.

She has additionally performed chamber music at Music@Menlo, Clarion Concerts, Newport Classical, The Morgan Library & Museum, Chamber Music Lehigh Valley, BIG ARTS Sanibel Island, Arts at Abingdon, and Arts Council of Moore County. Upcoming YCA On Tour chamber engagements include the Salk Science & Music Series, the Kravis Center, Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Mobile Chamber Music, and Calgary Pro Musica.

A native of Japan, Risa studied at the Tokyo College of Music as an Honorary Scholarship student with Koichiro Harada, Mayuko Kamio, and Machie Oguri. She now studies at the Manhattan School of Music on full scholarship with Koichiro Harada and Lucie Robert, with additional studies under Cho-Liang Lin. She is a recipient of scholarships from the Ezoe Memorial Foundation and the Rohm Music Foundation, and is represented in Japan by Kajimoto.

Risa performs on the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius, on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation, and the 1734 “Ames-Totenberg” Stradivarius, on loan from Ryuji Ueno and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.

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YCA represents violinist Risa Hokamura for worldwide engagements (except Japan). Please contact us for more information.