福田千尋　

ヴィオラ奏者、バイオリン教師

１９８０年ニューヨークにて日本人の母とアメリカ人の父の間に生まれる。６才よりバイオリンを習い始め、１７才でヴィオラに転向。７才から大学卒業までを日本で過ごす。２００３年東京芸術大学卒業（菅沼順二師に師事）。その後ニューヨークへ戻り、ジュリアード音楽院で川崎雅夫師に師事。２００５年に修士号取得した後に映画 ”Music of the Heart” で知られるハーレムの Opus 118 Harlem School of Music にてニューヨーク公立小学校等でバイオリンを教え始める。２００５年と２００８年にはニューヨーク日系人会音楽賞を受賞し、カーネギーホールのWeil Recital Hallにてリサイタルデビュー。これまでにスペイン、バレンシア州立歌劇場管弦楽団、サンフランシスコバレエ管弦楽団等へ勤め、現在サイトウキネンオーケストラ、Mostly Mozart Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera, New York City Balletでの演奏活動を、そしてマンハッタンでの福田千尋バイオリン教室の他、ニュージャージー、テナフライのJCCにて子どものためのバイオリン指導を続けている。

Chihiro Fukuda, violist and violin teacher

Born in New York City and raised in Japan, Chihiro began playing the violin at the age of six and the viola at 17.  She started playing in the Met Orchestra in 2008 and also currently a member of the Mostly Mozart Orchestra in New York City, the Iris Orchestra in Tennessee, and the Saito-Kinen Orchestra of Japan.  Previously, she has been a member in the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and assistant principal violist at the Valencia State Opera Orchestra of Spain. In 2006 and 2008 she received the Music Award from the New York Japanese-American Association and made her first recital appearances at Carnegie Hall’s Weil Recital Hall.  In 2005, Chihiro received her teaching training in violin at Opus 118 Harlem School of Music and began teaching young children at the program.  Chihiro received her Bachelor of Music degree at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music under Junji Suganuma, and Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School under Masao Kawasaki.  She currently teaches at the JCC in Tenafly, NJ aside from her private studio at Chihiro Fukuda Violin Studio.

During her free time, Chihiro enjoys cooking, eating, drinking, and spending time in the outdoors with her Border Collies Santa and Puck.