Studied violin with Josef Gingold, Mr. Beaver received top prizes at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, the 1990 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, and the 1991 Montreal International Musical Competition. As the first violinist of Tokyo Quartet from 2002 until its final concert in 2013, he appeared on the world major stages with critical acclaim. Mr. Beaver is currently serving as the String Faculty for Violin and Chamber Music at Colburn School.

While studying at Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai), Mr. Sawa won numerous prizes at international competitions including the Long-Thibaud and the Munich. Frequently appeared on the world stages he awarded the Ysaye Medal and Gold Medal at the Bordeaux Festival. Moved to London as a research fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music in 1989, he worked with the Amadeus Quartet leading him inspire to form the Sawa Quartet. Mr. Sawa is currently holding the post as the president of the Tokyo Geidai and is an honorary associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

Having studied at the Royal College of Music, Mr. Chilingirian won the first prize at the Munich Competition in 1971 as duo and the same year the Chilingirian Quartet was founded. He received the Cobbett Medal and in January 2000, an OBE in the Queen’s Honours List. Mr. Chilingirian is Professor of Violin and Chamber Musician in Residence at the Royal Academy of Music, Chamber Music Coach at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and is Visiting Tutor in violin at Royal Northern College of Music.

Started her violin lessons at the age of three and studied at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, Ms. Kawamoto joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in 1991 converting herself to a violist. She is the winner of the highest prize in the viola section at the Geneva Competition in 1992 and the Fresh Artist Prize at the 7th Nippon Steel Music Prized in 1997. After serving as the principal player at the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Kawamoto is now active both in solo and chamber music as a member of the Kyoto Alti String Q and AOI residence quartet.

Having studied violin at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and at the Shanghai Conservatory, Mr. Li co-founded the Shanghai Quartet with his brother Weigang. The quartet won the 2nd prize at London International String Quartet Competition with critical acclaim that led him to move to the US. He is currently teaching at Montclair State University and is the guest professor of both conservatories of Shanghai and Beijing. Mr. Li is also the guest principal violinist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Known to concertgoers the world over as the cellist of the Cleveland Quartet with 26 years of international career and made more than 2,500 appearances including performance at the White House, Mr. Katz was a student of G. Piatigorsky and J. Starker, and was a prizewinner in the Munich and the Geneva Competitions. He has mentored many of the fine young string quartets founding the Professional String Quartet Training Program and joined the faculty of the New England Conservatory in 2001.

Having won the first prize at the Music Competition of Japan while studying at graduate school of the Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai), Mr. Kim won the highest prize at the Geneve International in 1969. From 1970 he was the principal flute in the Hannover State Opera Orchestra. Upon returning to Japan in 1981 he accepted the position of the professor at the Tokyo Uni. of the Arts. He founded the Ensemble of Tokyo in 1986 making it the base of his musical activity in playing ensembles and conducting. Mr. Kim is professor emeritus at the Tokyo Geidai of the Arts, the faculty at Musashino Academia Musicae and Korea National University of Arts.

The clarinetist Michel Lethiec is one of the most eminent figures on the world-wide classical musical scene devoting to teaching at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and at the Nice Conservatoire, and frequently giving master classes in other renowned music schools. Besides being the Artistic Director of the Festival Pablo Casals in Prades, he participates regularly as a member of the jury in international competitions such as the Geneva, the Leipzig, and the Prague.

Mr. Delangle studied saxophone with Daniel Deffyet at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He has been invited as a saxophonist in the Ensemble Intercontemporain and as a soloist, appeared in many prestigious orchestras, such as London BBC, Radio France, Radio of Finland, WDR Köln, Berlin Philharmonic, and Kioi Tokyo. After obtaining several outstanding Premiers Prix at CNSMDP, Mr. Delangle was appointed professor in 1998 where he has created the most prestigious saxophone class in the world.

While still at The Juilliard School, Mr. Smith was appointed by Sir Georg Solti to join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He was the former Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, one of the “Big Five” orchestras in US. After 36 years of service, Philip Smith joined the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia in August 2014. In 2005, Mr. Smith was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music (Hon RAM) and was given the International Trumpet Guild Honorary Award in 2006.

Having studied at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, and served as Principal Trombonist with the Tokyo Philharmonic and New Japan Philharmonic, Mr. Kamiya moved to West Germany in 1976 to continue his musical study. In 1978 he made a three-year contract with Berlin Philharmonic and in 1981 became Principle Trombonist with the Staatstheater Kassel Orchestra. He has been active playing chamber music as a member of Tokyo Trombone Quartet. Since having left NHK Symphony Orchestra in 2003, Mr. Kamiya has been teaching and mentoring for students at the Toho Gakuen School of Music.