Biography

Kana, born in Japan in 1991, began playing the violin at the age of four and in 2003 was awarded a place at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School. In 2009, she moved to Vienna to study at the Vienna Konservatorium under Pavel Vernikov where she completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Kana has performed in major venues including the Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican Centre, Purcell Room, St John’s Smith Square and the Musikverein Vienna. An accomplished soloist, Kana has performed extensively in the UK, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Israel and Japan and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the London Schools Symphony Orchestra.

A multiple prize winner, Kana’s competition highlights including winning the Tunbridge Wells International Young Artists Competition in 2008 despite being their youngest competitor.

An avid chamber musician, Kana has performed with artists such as Dora Schwarzberg, Istvan Vardai, Alissa Margulis and Boris Andrianov. Kana performs regularly as a member of the Kawashima Duo with her pianist sister Miho.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

What do you love about classical music?
It’s hard to define the beauty of classical music in words. It lets you travel without travelling, wander back and forth in time, educate yourself without reading a word, deeply evoke and express every expression. It can keep reinventing itself, and yet, there is hardly the need since it will never get old.

What or who inspired you to become a professional musician?
Although my parents aren’t musicians, I was surrounded by music from an early age, watching and being inspired by different artists. I am very grateful to them for that. My older sister is also a musician which definitely helped motivate me. When I entered the Menuhin School, I felt like I found the world I belonged in. Music and violin has always just been a part of who I am, and it never occurred to me that it could be otherwise.

What is your most embarrassing or amusing musical moment?
Once, during a performance when I was much younger, I let out a big sneeze and simultaneously a string snapped. I’m not entirely sure whether it was actually the sneeze that caused the snap, but I would say it was quite an embarrassing affair.