Kana Ohashi

Born in Scotland and raised in Australia since the age of four, Kana Ohashi’s exposure to different cultures has positively coloured her life. Before moving to England on the International ABRSM scholarship at 18, she built a solid foundation as a young professional violinist at home where she won the National Young Concerto Competition and the Dorcas McClean Travelling Award.

Kana has enjoyed the opportunity to perform as soloist with Orchestra Victoria, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, ERT Greek Radio Orchestra, Schlesishe Philharmonie and the Capella Istropolitana.

Since 2018, Kana has lived in Leipzig, working as Associate Concertmaster in the prestigious Gewandhaus Orchestra. As well as regular chamber music with her orchestral colleagues, she has played with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra Hamburg and curated and directed the Manchester Cosmos Strings for performances at the Malta International Arts Festival.

Passionate about charity work, Kana had the honour to play on a violin made of tsunami debris from the 2011 Japanese disaster for a concert in her hometown of Melbourne in 2018. She is a founding member of Leipzig charity concert series, Handshake.

Her teachers include former concertmaster of NZSO and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Wilma Smith in Melbourne, and Professor Yair Kless in Manchester.