Minami Yoshida – Laureate 2021

Minami Yoshida is one of the most promising Japanese violinists. She won the 1st prize at the Music competition of Japan in 2014, a prize winner at the Sibelius International Violin Competition in 2015, 3rd prize at the Concours musical international de Montréal in 2016, and received the 3rd Arion-Toho Music Award, the 7th Tokiko Iwatani Award Foundation for Youth, and the Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant Award.

At the age of 12, Minami debuted with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and has continued to be featured with orchestras including the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and she has also performed with many orchestras in Japan.

Born in Nara, a traditional ancient city, Minami began violin at the age of 5. After graduating from Toho Gakuen Music High School, she received a Soloist Diploma from Toho Gakuen College of Music as an honor student. She is currently studying at the New England Conservatory of Music with the Dean’s scholarship and in the Tokyo College of Music's Artist Diploma Program as an Honorary Scholarship student. Currently Minami is studying with Miriam Fried, Koichiro Harada, and Kyoko Takezawa, and learning duo and chamber with Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, Nicholas Cords and Merry Peckham. She is a recipient of the scholarship from Ezoe Memorial Recruit Foundation and Tan Family Education Foundation.

Minami is currently performing on the “Booth” Stradivarius 1716, on generous loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.