Japanese violinist Risa Hokamura, whose playing has been praised as “both powerful and reflective, sweet and steely” (Upstage, Indianapolis), first gained international attention when she won First Prize at the 2018 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions at the age of seventeen. She also received the Tannery Pond Concerts Prize, the Ruth Laredo Memorial Prize, the Ronald A. Asherson Prize, and the Silver Medal at the 2018 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, where she performed the Tchaikovsky Concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

Risa's recital highlights include her debuts at Merkin Concert Hall and the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, both presented by Young Concert Artists, as well as her debuts at Kioi Hall and Symphony Hall.

She has performed with notable orchestras, including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Yamagata Symphony Orchestra, and Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra.

Risa began playing the violin at the age of three and started studying with Kenji Kobayashi at age seven. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Violin Performance at the Manhattan School of Music as a full scholarship student under the tutelage of Koichiro Harada, Lucie Robert, and additional studies with Cho-Liang Lin. Her mentors also include Machie Oguri and Mayuko Kamio. She is a recipient of the Ezoe Memorial Foundation Scholarship.

Risa plays the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius violin, generously loaned to her by the Nippon Music Foundation.