Coco Tomita

13, Japan

Coco Tomita began to play the violin aged 4. She is currently studying with Natasha Boyarsky at the Yehudi Menuhin School. Coco was prizewinner in the Junior section of the Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition in Italy in 2010, and 2 years later, she made her debut appearance with the Southbank Sinfonia at Cadogan Hall, London. Coco has performed in numerous concerts in the UK, Holland, Italy and Japan. Recent highlights include a collaboration with Alina Ibragimova at Milton Court, and a performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Dorking Chamber Orchestra.

“I am very excited and extremely honoured to have been selected to take part in the competition. Knowing that there was a record number of application from all over the world, I feel relieved and proud, but at the same time privileged to have been given a chance to compete in the competition. For me the Menuhin competition will be a challenge. A challenge for me to learn and prepare these three sets of programme all to a high standard. I am particularly looking forward to learning the newly commissioned piece by Oscar Colomina Bosch. It will also be an opportunity for me to find out where I am at in terms of my development as a violinist and musician. Meeting people is another important and exciting aspect of taking part in the competition and outreach projects as it may lead to other opportunities and something more extraordinary! Even though it is a competition, I always think of any performing event as a concert, a special moment to share music and communicate with an audience through music. For me, that is very important, and that is the part I am most looking forward to in April 2016!” (Coco Tomita)