Coco Tomita, violin; Yume Tomita, violin; Kan Tomita, piano

Event information

Programme:

Debussy: Sonata in G minor for violin & piano
Brahms: Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor, Op.108
Prokofiev: Sonata in C for 2 violins, Op.56

Hailed by critics and audiences alike, Japanese violinist Coco Tomita first gained recognition after winning the BBC Young Musician 2020 Strings Category. Her success led to an invitation to record a debut album with Orchid Classics, numerous approaches by music festivals across the UK, and an extensive concert tour of Japan. She was named as ‘One to watch’ by Gramophone Magazine and ‘Young Classical Star’ by Classic FM. Her debut album ‘Origins’ received a succession of rave reviews from The Strad, Gramophone Magazine, BBC Music Magazine and The Guardian, among others, and was selected as ‘Disc of the month’ by Apple in April 2022.

​Orchid Classics have invited Coco to record a second album. Due for release in autumn 2024 it will feature music by Debussy, Enescu, Janáček & Prokofiev.

​Based in London and Berlin, Coco recently completed her triumphant debut tour of Japan, highlights of which were her concerto debut with Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Masahiko Enkoji, and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Axelrod at the Suntory Hall, Tokyo. She has also appeared as a soloist with London Mozart Players, Philharmonie Baden-Baden and Bath Philharmonia.

​In recital Coco performs regularly with Simon Callaghan. This season she makes her debut at the Dubai Opera and has several appearances around the UK. Last season Coco made debuts at Harrogate International Festival and St George’s Hall, Bristol.

She has won numerous prizes at international competitions and festivals, including Golden Medals at the Vienna International Music Competition and Berliner International Music Competition, Carl Flesch Prize at the Carl Flesch Academy, and 1st prize at the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra Young Soloist Competition where she also won the Duke of Devonshire Award.

​Born into a musical family, Coco began to play the violin when she was four years old. At age ten she made her debut at Cadogan Hall, London, with Southbank Sinfonia and has performed in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

​Coco began her early training at the Yehudi Menuhin School with renowned pedagogues Natasha Boyarsky and Lutsia Ibragimova. Since 2021, she has been studying under the guidance of Professor Kolja Blacher at the Hochschule fur Musik Hanns Eisler, Berlin.


Yume Tomita was born in the UK in 2008 and began to play the violin when she was five years old. She was invited to give her first recital at the age of seven in Italy, and in the following year she was awarded a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School where she studied with Natasha Boyarsky, Diana Galvydyte, and is currently a student of Ning Kam.

Yume has also received guidance from renowned violinists including Kolja Blacher, Zakhar Bron, Alina Ibragimova, Shlomo Mintz and Qian Zhou in various international masterclasses. In 2021, Yume was awarded the 1st prize as well as Audience prize at the “Il Piccolo Violino Magico” International Competition for Young Violinists in San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy. She is also a former major prize winner at the Ilona Feher International Violin Competition in Hungary (1st prize), Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition in Italy (2nd prize) and Grumiaux International Violin Competition in Belgium (3rd prize).

Yume’s concerto debut came in 2019 with Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra in Budapest and her recent highlights include appearances at Cremona Mondomusica in Italy in 2021, numerous concerto engagements with Accademia d’Archi Arrigoni also in Italy in February/March 2022 and an appearance in Klassiek Leeft Festival in Belgium in April 2022. Yume performs on a violin made for her in 2020 by Frédéric Chaudière of Montpellier.


Kan Tomita has won numerous international awards and prizes. Since his concerto debut at the Royal Festival Hall, London at the age of 15, he has been in demand both as soloist and chamber musician performing in the UK (Southbank Centre, Barbican, LSO St Luke’s, Bridgewater Hall etc.), Europe (Austria, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Romania and Ukraine) as well as Japan; where music critics praised him as “Stunning performer with superb technical accomplishment and poetry” (“Ongaku-no Tomo” Music Magazine, Japan).