Yoshiko Arai

Yoshiko Arai

Yoshiko Arai was born in Japan, but has lived most of her life in Finland. In 1969 she graduated in violin at the Paris Conservatoire and helped establish the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, of which she was Artistic Director from 1977 to 1980. Arai has taught violin at the Sibelius Academy, worked with the Kuhmo Chamber soloists and been Artistic Director of an international music festival in Kitakyushu, in Japan. She was first violin with the Jean Sibelius String Quartet for quite some time. She has received the Finnish Pro Finlandia Medal and been awarded France’s Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Arai has played in more than 2,000 concerts in around 30 countries. She considers by far her best achievement, though, her three children and seven grandchildren. At present, Yoshiko Arai is focusing on some life enhancing studies that do not normally involve playing the violin.

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