Praised by the Strings Magazine for possessing a sound “with probing quality that is supple and airborne” and for her “pure, pellucid bow strokes”, violinist Keiko Tokunaga spends most of her days touring and performing globally as a soloist and chamber musician. A passionate advocate of the chamber music of all eras, Ms. Tokunaga joined the internationally acclaimed Attacca Quartet in 2005. Ms. Tokunaga has soloed with various orchestras including the Spanish National Orchestra, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya and Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Orchestra. She has appeared in such major venues as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Rubin Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Banff Centre in Canada, Sociedad Filarmonica de Bilbao in Spain, Ohji Hall and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and Izumi Hall in Osaka among others. Ms. Tokunaga recently released her debut album, Jewels, from New York Classics Label.
Since Ms. Tokunaga joined in 2005, the Attacca Quartet has won numerous prestigious awards, including the First Prize of the 7th Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in 2011; the Third Prize and the Australian Broadcast Corporation Classic FM Listener’s Choice Award of the 6th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition in 2011. The Attacca Quartet served as the Graduate String Quartet in Residence at The Juilliard School from 2011 till 2013, and as as artist-in-residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the 2014-15 season. The Attacca Quartet is currently the ensemble-in-residence at the Texas State University in San Marcos, TX.
When she is not on the road, Ms. Tokunaga enjoys her career as an educator. She has been on faculty at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Ear Training Division since 2008, and she has served as violin faculty at the Fordham University, the Hunter College of New York, the Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival, and Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute. Ms. Tokunaga’s private students range from absolute beginners to winners of international competitions, and she welcomes students from all ethnic and cultural background.
Ms. Tokunaga holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School. She loves cats, pyramids and the Legend of Zelda.
Ms. Tokunaga’s partner-in-crime is a Stefano Scarampella violin from 1900 and Nicolas Maire bow from circa 1850.
Program to include “Matins” (2005/2014) by Evan Fein.
Website: PianoSonoma
Event: Juilliard