Mari Nagahara, cello

Japanese-American cellist Mari Nagaharahas made a name for herself as a promising young talent. Trained and rooted in the classical music tradition, she is dedicated to expanding the repertoire by championing works by women, composers of colour, and underrepresented composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Her work lives at the junction of collaboration, equity and innovation, aiming to provide a reflective and inclusive tapestry within the classical music landscape.

She has been invited to perform at some of the most prestigious chamber music festivals and programs in the United States and Europe, including the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, the Perlman Music Program Chamber Workshop, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival at Yale School of Music, the Taos School of Music, Kneisel Hall, and PODIUM Festival Esslingen. Mari is a former member of Trio Rai, which was awarded the Bronze Medal at the renowned Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. She is also a founding member of the Trio Midas, a clarinet trio which was generously supported by the Werner Richard – Dr. Carl Dörken Stiftung during its 2022-2023 concert season.

Mari Nagahara was a member of the Académie Studio de l’Orchestre de Paris during the 2022–23 season. She is also a recent member of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra Academy and has performed in the New York String Orchestra Seminar at Carnegie Hall.

She has studied with pedagogues Paul Katz, Gabriel Schwabe and Natasha Brofsky, and is a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA, and the Cologne University of Music and Dance in Germany.

Mari Nagahara is a fellow of the Kunststiftung NRW.