KD SCHMID Signs 12-Year-Old Violinist Himari

The young talent will sign on for general management

Young violinist Himari joins the likes of violinists Hilary Hahn, Augustin Hadelich, Arabella Steinbacher, Baiba Skride, and Christian Tetzlaff on the KD SCHMID roster. She will be represented by Naomi Ives and Caroline Downs.

Born in Japan, Himari began her violin studies with Koichiro Harada and Machie Oguri. As one of the youngest-ever applicants, she entered The Curtis Institute of Music in 2022 and currently studies violin with Ida Kavafian.

After giving her professional orchestral solo debut at age 6, she has won numerous top prizes at international violin competitions — including the grand prize at the International Competition for Young Violinists in Honor of Karol Lipinski and Henryk Wieniawski, 12th Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition in Belgium, the 26th Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition in Italy, the 20th Scherkunchik International Music Competition in Russia, and the 2nd Leonid Kogan International Violin Competition in Belgium.

In 2019, she participated in the International Summer Academy held by the Mozarteum University Salzburg. She is an award winner of the concert that the academy held during the 2019 Salzburg Festival, where she was the youngest participant. Additionally, Himari won the audience prize at the “Mini Violini 2023” held as part of the Montreal International Violin Competition.

Her upcoming performances include with l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva and on tour in Japan, and with the Oxford Philharmusica in Japan.

 “It is a huge honour that KD SCHMID has been entrusted to help nurture and protect such a talented young artist," Ives said. "The KDS team will take great care to ensure that Himari is guided and encouraged to continue to develop her own unique musicality. Himari is a very bright, caring and happy person and we are all very much looking forward to working with her.”

“I am really excited to be joining KD SCHMID," Himari said. "I truly appreciate my teacher Ms. Ida and all who have been guiding me. I want to learn more repertoire and become an artist who can tell the wonderfulness of music to many people in the world through the violin that I love.”

You can hear her perform below: