Oregon Symphony Musician Bio

Masayo Higuchi

Viola

Violist Masayo Higuchi was appointed by Carlos Kalmer to join the Oregon Symphony in the 2005-2006 season.

After receiving her bachelor's degree for violin from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music with an honor's award, Masayo won the Gee International Fund Viola Competition to study with Masao Kawasaki and Dr. Catharine Carroll at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as a full-scholarship student.

Masayo has received numerous awards and scholarships in and outside of her native country of Japan as both violinist and violist. She won first prize at the All-Japan Violin Competition (Junior-High School Division), the Shigeta Prize at the 1997 Nagano-Aspen Music Festival, the 1999 ABC Broadcasting Rising-Star Audition, the 2000 School Concerto Competition at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and the New Horizon Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival. She also won a special prize at the 2003 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition in Isle of Man, UK.

After completing her master's degree in Cincinnati, Masayo joined the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She was appointed co-principal viola and received the Louise H. Benton Wagner Chair and the Holt/Full Circle Family Foundation Scholarship. During her residency in Chicago, Masayo studied with Li-Kuo Chang and Lawrence Neuman from the Chicago Symphony and Shmuel Ashkenasi from the Vermeer Quartet. In May 2005, Masayo won the substitute position at the Chicago Symphony.

Before joining the Oregon Symphony, Masayo was a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Tennessee directed by Michael Stern.

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