Taiga Sasaki
Taiga Sasaki studied violin and chamber music under Prof.Saiko Azuma at the Tokyo College of Music High School and the Tokyo College of Music. He later continued his studies with Prof.Dora Schwarzberg in Vienna and Prof.Rainer Schmidt in Salzburg.
He has received top honors in several major competitions in Japan, including First Prize at the Japan Player’s Competition and the highest award at the Japan Classical Music Competition in both solo and chamber music divisions.
He has appeared in numerous concerts across Japan as both a soloist and a chamber musician. More recently, he has performed in various countries across Europe, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
He is a founding member of Quartet KAIRI, established in 2015. In 2024, the quartet won First Prize at the International Competition “Premio Annarosa Taddei” in Rome. The group has performed extensively, including a collaboration with Peter Schmidl, former principal clarinetist of the Vienna Philharmonic, at the Mt.Fuji Kawaguchiko Music Festival.
From 2019 to 2022, He served as a Vorspieler in the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra. In 2022, he relocated to Vienna and has been based in Austria since.
Since 2023, he has been studying at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, specializing in chamber music (string quartet) under Prof.Rainer Schmidt and Prof.Cibrán Sierra Vázquez, as a member of Quartet KAIRI.
He was also a Academist of the Tonkünstler Orchestra from April 2023 to March 2025.
Yu Mita
Born in Tokyo in 1996, Yu Mita took up the violin at the age of three, drawn early into its expressive world. He studied at the Tokyo College of Music High School and later earned his bachelor’s degree from the Tokyo College of Music, supported by several scholarships recognizing his artistic promise.
In 2019, he moved to Germany to study with Katrin Scholz at the University of the Arts Bremen, where he completed his master’s degree. Since 2023, he has been pursuing the Konzertexamen, further refining his artistry and interpretative voice.
He was a recipient of scholarships from both the DAAD and the Meigakudō Music Foundation.
He has cultivated rich orchestral experience performing with leading ensembles such as the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the NHK Symphony Orchestra. He has also held temporary positions with the Philharmonisches Orchester Lübeck and the Bremer Philharmoniker, showcasing his versatility across both symphonic and chamber music stages.
Jiliang Shi
Jiliang Shi is an accomplished violist recognized for his artistry and dedication to chamber music. Originally from China, he pursued his Bachelor of Music at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg under William Coleman and is currently continuing his master’s education with Muriel Razavi. He is also pursuing a Chamber Music Master’s degreeunder the mentorship of Rainer Schmidt and Cibrán Sierra Vázquez.
Jiliang is an active chamber musician and a member of Quartet Kairi. His passion for performance has led him to collaborate with renowned orchestras, including the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, where he was selected as a viola academist in 2023 under Maestro Kent Nagano. He has also performed with the Münchener Kammerorchester and Kalaphiramonie Landshut, establishing himself as a versatile and sought-after violist
Throughout his career, Jiliang has worked closely with many distinguished musicians, including Tabea Zimmermann, Nobuko Imai, Luc-Marie Aguera (Ysaÿe Quartet), Benjamin Schmid, Yo-Yo Ma, Simon Bernardini (Berliner Philharmoniker), Mathis Rochat, Simone Drescher, Jan Vogler, Connie Shih, William Coleman, and Thomas Riebl. His artistry has also been shaped by masterclasses with Antoine Tamestit, Amihai Grosz, Walter Küssner, Tatjana Masurenko, Xidi Shen, and others, allowing him to refine his craft under some of the world’s most esteemed violists.
Jiliang’s talent has been recognized through prestigious awards, including 1st prize at the Premio Annarosa Taddei Chamber Music Competition (2024) and 2nd prize at the Viola Concorso Hindemith Salzburg（2024).
As a dedicated performer and chamber musician, Jiliang Shi continues to engage audiences worldwide with his expressive playing and commitment to musical excellence.
Hotaka Sakai
Hotaka Sakai is a Japanese cellist currently studying a Master’s degree in Chamber Music at the Mozarteum University Salzburg (with Prof. Rainer Schmidt and Cibràn Sierra Vazquez) and a Master’s in Cello Performance at the HMDK Stuttgart (with Prof. Conradin Brotbek). He earned his Bachelor’s degree at Tokyo Collage of Music under Prof. Dmitry Feygin and Hakuro Mōri.
From 2019 to 2022, he was a member of the NHK Symphony Orchestra Academy, and has since regularly appeared as a guest cellist with many orchestras including the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
He has received awards such as the Audience Prize at the Japan Student Music Competition, and Second Prize at the Japan Classical Music Competition (Chamber Music Division).
He has taken part in masterclasses with renowned artists including Johannes Moser, Tamàs Varga, Luis Claret, and Jing Zhao.