Yoshika Masuda

Cello

Recently described by the press as ‘a remarkable cellist who possesses the intellect and innate musicality, which combined with his solid technique, allows him to accurately interpret different styles of music’ (Chopin music magazine), cellist Yoshika Masuda is fast emerging as one of the most unique and versatile artists of his generation. As the winner of national competitions in Australia, Japan, and the US, Yoshika has performed throughout Australia, Japan, China, the US, Mexico, the UK and much of western Europe. A keen advocate of contemporary music, Yoshika has given the US & world premieres of works by Toshio Hosokawa, Derrick Spiva Jr., Bent Sørensen, Nick Strimple and Jörg Widmann. He has performed chamber music with Guy Ben-Ziony, Peter Frankl, Bruno Giuranna, Gilbert Kalish, Alissa Margulis, Donald Weilerstein and Qian Zhou, and is also the co-founder and cellist of the SAKURA cello quintet. In past years, Yoshika was invited to perform at the festivals of Aldeburgh and Leicester in the UK, Festival Amfiteatrof in Italy, Kirishima Music Festival in Japan, and the Yellow Barn Music Festival, Music Mountain Chamber Festival, and Piatigorsky International Cello Festival in the USA.

 

Born in Kobe, Japan, Yoshika first started playing the cello at the age of five but moved to Australia as a young child where he began his studies with Georg Pedersen at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He then studied extensively with Hannah Roberts and Ralph Kirshbaum, whilst also receiving close musical guidance from Thomas Demenga and David Geringas. Yoshika graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK with distinction and received the Principal’s Prize along with the Leonard Rose Cello Award for outstanding achievement. He gained his D.M.A. from the USC Thornton School of Music. Yoshika is currently the Assistant Professor of Cello and Director of String Studies at California Lutheran University.