Tomoko Kihara (Koto/Shamisen)

Born in Hiroshima, 1986. She graduated from the Elisabeth University of Music, and finished its master’s course. While studying at the university, she received the Xavier prize and the Cecilia prize, passed the NHK Japanese traditional music audition.

In 2011, she was selected as a soloist of the Kammerphilharmonie Hiroshima conducted by Martin Stanzeleit, toured in Hiroshima and Germany. The same year, she toured in Germany as a member of “WORLD OF STRINGS” project (produced by Diego Jascalevich). In 2013, she appeared on the “welt in einklang” concert tour in Hiroshima and Tokyo (produced by Norio Sato). In 2014, she was invited to the Aachen Guitar Festival, performed with Diego Jascalevich and Yusupha Kuyateh. In 2015, she joined the Mercer Hassy project, recorded a CD together with Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, Damian Erskine and Tiger Okoshi.

Recently her activities are not only focused on Japanese traditional music but also collaborating with many Japanese and international players from other genres. She also appears in TV and radio programs.

She is a part-time lecturer at the Hijiyama Girls' Junior and Senior High School and the Elisabeth University of Music.

To date, she has studied under Fumiko Wakaoka, Setsuko Waki, Kazue Sawai and Shintaro Okamura.