Risa Hokamura began studying the violin at the age of three, and by the age of ten captured top prizes in competitions throughout her home country of Japan. She first came to international attention upon winning First Prize in the 2018 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions at the age of seventeen, as well as the Tannery Pond Concerts Prize, The Ruth Laredo Memorial Prize, and The Ronald A. Asherson Prize, and the Silver Medal at the 2018 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, where she performed with the Indianapolis Symphony conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Risa has since performed as concerto soloist with orchestras including the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, the Kennett Symphony (PA), The Apollo Orchestra (Washington, D.C.), Muncie Symphony Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra. During the 24-25 season she will appear as concerto soloist with Symphonicity in Virginia Beach, VA.
Risa made her New York City debut at Merkin Hall and her Washington, D.C. debut at The Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater. She has made recital appearances with the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Ithaca College, Buffalo Chamber Music Society, The Morgan Library & Museum (NYC), and Port Washington Library. Additionally, she has performed chamber music at Music@Menlo, Clarion Concerts, and The Morgan Library & Museum and in recital at Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, University of Florida Performing Arts (Gainesville, FL), Arts at Abingdon (Gloucester, VA), and Arts Council of Moore County (Southern Pines, NC). In 24-25 she will appear with YCA on Tour at Chamber Music Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, PA and BIG ARTS Sanibel Island in Florida.
A native of Japan, Risa studied at the Tokyo College of Music as the Honorary Scholarship student under the tutelage of Koichiro Harada, Mayuko Kamio, and Machie Oguri. She continued her studies this year at the Manhattan School of Music as the Full Scholarship student under the tutelage of Koichiro Harada and Lucie Robert, and additional studies with Cho-Liang Lin. She is also a recipient of scholarships from the Ezoe Memorial Foundation and the Rohm Music Foundation. Risa Hokamura is represented in Japan by Kajimoto.
Risa plays the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius violin on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation and 1734 “Ames-Totenberg” Stradivarius violin on loan from Ryuji Ueno and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.
