Kelly Kanai

Biography

Born in Osaka, Japan, Kelly Kanai began studying the violin at the age of seven. She made her debut five years later, performing Vivaldi's "Winter" from The Four Seasons with the Oregon Symphony. She has since appeared as soloist with the Seattle Symphony, Sendai Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, and Montgomery Symphony, among others.

Praised for her expressive playing and commanding stage presence, Kanai is a laureate and finalist of the Cooper International Competition, Stulberg, Johansen, and Crain-Maling Foundation competitions, and has been invited to perform in Paris, Sendai, and London as part of the Jacques Thibaud, Sendai, and Menuhin International Violin Competitions.

She has given solo, concerto, and chamber music performances in major venues in the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Orchestra Hall in Chicago, as well as throughout the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Korea, and Japan. She was also named a U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate and featured in HBO's Masterclass with Joshua Bell.

A graduate of the Columbia-Juilliard Exchange Program, Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Columbia University and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School.