Welcome, Kanako, the the Cincinnati Strings Family!

We are so pleased to introduce our new violin teacher, Kanako Shimasaki. She's a wonderfully kind and engaging teacher and fantastic violinist. You can read more about her below!

Born in Springfield, Ohio, Kanako began studying violin at age four. As a soloist, Kanako has been featured on Classical WDPR 88.1, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and the Millennium Stage Concert Series in Washington D.C. In 2013, she was named the Violin Winner of the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition. She has appeared as soloist with the National Symphony Summer Music Institute Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, CCM Philharmonia and Artaria Ensemble, Great Wall Soloists, and Wright State University Symphony Orchestra. She was awarded the Levine Award at the National Symphony Orchestra National Trustees Summer Music Institute and made her Kennedy Center solo debut as a winner of the SMI Competition.

Kanako graduated from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) as a full scholarship student, where she received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance.  While at CCM, she was a winner of the Chamber Music Competition in 2012 and 2015 and the Brandenburg Concerto Competition in 2013.  Kanako is continuing her studies in the Masters Program at CCM where she is a recipient of a full scholarship and teaching assistantship.