Azusa Tashiro is a violinist based in the Chicago area. She is the current Assistant Concertmaster of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Principal Second Violinist of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, and the Section Violinist of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra. She also frequently performs with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and has played with various ensembles such as the Minnesota Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago which she was appointed to be the Concertmaster in the 2009/10 Season.
As the winner of the first place and audience prize from the Plowman Chamber Music Competition 2015, Azusa is an active chamber musician. She is the violinist of the Petar Jankovic Ensemble which is a unique chamber ensemble group, made up of a string quartet led by a classical guitar. With them, Azusa widely tours in the US and abroad. She also heavily contributed to their new CD "(Com) Passionate" which was released in 2014. For more information about the Peter Jankovic Ensemble, please visit: http://petarjankovic.com/ensemble/
Azusa has appeared as a soloist with the College of DuPage Chamber Orchestra, and attended many summer festivals including the Spoleto Festival USA and the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan which she spent three summers and led the orchestra as a concertmaster. Throughout her musical experience, she played under world-class conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Fabio Luisi, Alan Gilbert, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Riccardo Muti.
Born in Chiba, Japan, Azusa Tashiro began her violin studies at the age of 4. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Toho Gakuen School of Music under Kenji Kobayashi. In 2008, Azusa came to United States and attended the Chicago College of the Performing Arts as a student of Nathan Cole. She went on to receive her Master of Music degree at DePaul University School of Music while studying with a great renown violinist, Ilya Kaler.
