Shuichi Okada

Violin
Born in Bordeaux, Shuichi Okada studied at the CNSM, the Barenboim-Said Akademie and Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. Winner of nu- merous competitions, in 2015 he received the Prince of Hesse Prize (Kronberg Academy). He has played with many orchestras and leads a career as a chamber musician, invited to festivals such as La folle journée (Nantes and Tokyo). His discography includes a disc of French melodies with Véronique Gens and I Giardini (Alpha), winner of a Choc de Classica and Diapason d’Or, Beethoven’s String Trio (Mirare), winner of a Diapason d’Or.

Machiko Shimada

Violin
From Nagoya. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts and Hochschule für Musik Detmold, highest honors. Music Competition of Japan 2nd prize; placed in Premio Paganini and Intl. J.S. Bach Competition; Aichi Pref. Arts Encouragement Prize. Released three CDs, including J.S. Bach Solo Sonata & Partitas. Central Aichi Symphony solo concertmaster, Mito Chamber Orchestra member. Besides performing chamber music and solo, teaches at Aichi University of the Arts and Kyoto Horikawa Sr. High School of Music. Plays a 1769 G. B. Guadagnini loaned by Yellow Angel.

Koichi Yokomizo

Viola
Alumna of Toho Gakuen School of Music. Formed the Verus String Quartet in 2006, which won 3rd place at the 57th ARD Munich International Music Competition, the first time in 38 years as a fully-Japanese group since the Tokyo String Quartet. He left the quartet in 2009, returning in 2013. Was concertmaster for the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Opera Project and a soloist at the Beppu Argerich Music Festival. Appeared as a violist on NHK-FM Recital Passio. Currently vice principal violin of the NHK Symphony Orchestra and guest violist with various orchestras.

Yukiko Ogura

Viola
Born in Nara. First taught violin by Miyoko Uda in the Suzuki Method. Studied with Kazuyo Kimura at Kyoto City University of Arts. After graduating, joined the Kobe City Chamber Orchestra. Upon leaving, switched to viola; studied with Mazumi Tanamura. Moved to the US in 2000; studied under Li-Kuo Chang and Yuko Mori at Roosevelt University Music Conservatory; joined Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2001. Moved to the UK in 2014. Was principal viola at Philharmonia 2016–23, and guest principal with English Chamber Orchestra, RSNO, BBC Symphony, and CSO.

Sumire Kudo

Cello
Native of Tokyo. Formerly of Avalon String Quartet, currently a member of the New York Philharmonic and Veritas String Quartet. Won 2nd prize at the 62nd Japan Music Competition. Completed the Soloist Diploma Course at Toho Gakuen College Music Dept. and then the Artist Diploma Course at Juilliard, where she was also engaged as assistant to the Juilliard Quartet. She has studied with Yoritoyo Inoue, Hakuro Mori, Harvey Shapiro, and the Juilliard Quartet and appeared in the Marlboro Music Festival, Music@Menlo, SummerFest La Jolla, etc.

Hsing-Han Tsai

Cello
While studying at the National Arts University of Taipei, Hsing-Han Tsai won the 1st prize of cello and 1st chamber music prize of the Taiwan National Music Competition. She has worked with prestigious conductors in masterclasses and festivals, and earned the master degree of chamber music at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and artist diploma of Contemporary Electronic music in 2022. She has performed in numerous festivals and recitals all over the world, is a member of Les Violoncelles Français, and cellist at Opéra nationale de Paris.

Julien Szulman

Violin
After graduating from the Paris Conservatoire, Julien Szulman achieved the Konzertexamen at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. Laureate of Long-Thibaud and Geneva Competi- tions. He has been guest concertmaster in London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande among others. As a soloist, he performed with many orchestras and has an active chamber music career. He is head of the recruiting committee in Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland, and teaches in Ozawa International Chamber Music Academy Okushiga since 2015.

Alexandre Pascal

Violin
Born into a family of musicians, Alexandre Pascal studied with Olivier Charlier at the Paris Conservatoire and with Augustin Dumay at Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth. He attended the Ozawa Academy 2016–21, where he developed a keen interest in chamber music. Now pursuing a career as a chamber musician, he has been invited to many European festivals. In 2020, as a member of the Pascal Trio, he recorded Schubert’s two piano trios to critical acclaim. Supported by Adami and the Fondation Banque Populaire, he plays a J. B. Vuillaume violin from 1854.

Violaine Despeyroux

Viola
Violaine Despeyroux has won 1st prize at the National Competition for Young Violists and 2nd prize and prize for the best Bach perfor- mance at the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition. A passion and tenacity that can be found in prestigious music halls—the Victoria Hall in Geneva, Seiji Ozawa Hall, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Palais des Beaux-arts. For cham- ber music, she played in Festival Radio France, La folle journée, amongst others. Her 22/23 season will be marked by her debut in Flagey (Brussel), performing Mozart Sinfonia Concertante.

Bumjun Kim

Cello
Born in 1994 in South Korea, Bumjun Kim arrived in France at the age of seven months. During his last years of study, he made his debut as a soloist in Philharmonie de Paris and Seoul Art Center. Former member of the Karajan Academy at the Berliner Philharmoniker. Recent performances include Brahms’s Double Concerto under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach with the KBS Symphony Orchestra. He founded the Arnold Trio in 2018, which is in residence at the Fondation Singer-Polignac. They released a 2020 recording of Beethoven’s Op. 9 trios (Mirare) that won awards including the Diapason d’Or.