Marie Yamanaka – Viola
Marie Yamanaka was born in Japan and received her first violin lessons at the age of four. At the age of 19 she began her violin studies at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität with Prof. Thomas Christian.
As a result of chamber music activity playing the viola with the Pacific Quartet Vienna, Marie Yamanaka finally made the change to the instrument in 2008 and continued her studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with Prof. Wolfgang Klos, graduating with honors in 2013. With her quartet she received, among others, the 1st prize at the 8th International Marco Fiorindo Chamber Music Competition (2008, Italy) and she celebrated successes at festivals and tours in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Montenegro and Japan. She received further inspiration in master classes with Kim Kashkashian, Nobuko Imai, Pamela Frank, Tokyo String Quartet, Hatto Beyerle, Morten Carlsen, lsabel Charisius and Sebastian Hamann.
She has been a member of the Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra as assistant principal violist since December 2012.
Marie Yamanaka has performed internationally as a soloist with the Romanian Philharmonic Orchestra „OLTENIA“ Craiova, Camerata Musica Vienna and the Vienna-Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. She received the 1st prize and the Armin Kaufmann Promotion Prize at the 1st Armin Kaufmann Competition 2009 (Austria) and the 3rd prize at the 49th International Beethoven Hradec Competition 2010 (Czech Republic).