Kota Nagahara was born in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1981.

And at the age of 5, he began violin lessons. 

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He graduated from Yasuda Gakuen Yasuda Elementary School, Hiroshima Gakuin Junior High School, The Music High School attached to The Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts, and he entered Tokyo University of the Arts. 

He received Juilliard on a full scholarship while attending Tokyo University of the Arts, and studied abroad at the Juilliard School.

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When he was in the sixth grade of elementary school and the first grade of junior high school, he was awarded first place in the School music Concours of Japan.

 

At the age of 13 years old, he was awarded third place in the 6th International Competition for Young Violinists in Honor of K.Lipinski and H.Wieniawski, Junior group including musicians under 17 years old in Poland, in 1994.

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At the age of 17, he was awarded the youngest winner in the 67th Japan Music Competition, and he was also awarded the Leucadia Award, the Sumi Award, and the Kuroyanagi Award.

 

He performed as a soloist with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra at the age of 12. Since then, he performed with Japan's foremost professional orchestras, many famous conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Gerhard Bosse, and Rudolf Barshai.

 

He had performed at various music festivals such as Saito Kinen, Argerich International, Miyazaki International, Kirishima International, Yamanami International, and had been well received.

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And he was invited to many music festivals such as the US "Aspen Music Festival", the UK "Lake District Summer Music Festival", "Rideal Music Festival", "Hong Kong International Music Festival”. 

He had performed in recitals, concertos, chamber music concerts. Everyone thought highly of his performance there.

 

He was invited as a soloist and a guest concertmaster for the Hannover NDR Radio Symphony Orchestra in Germany and his performance had been well received. 

 

And he became the concertmaster of Saito Kinen Orchestra (conductor Seiji Ozawa and others), Tokyo Spring Music Festival (conductor Riccardo Muti), and Ravenna Music Festival commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Italy (conductor Riccardo Muti).

 

He held many charity concerts such as "Prayer for Peace for 60 Years of the Atomic Bomb”, “Ashinaga”, and "Guide Dog Training”. He is also active in volunteering through music.

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And he was featured in music magazines such as "Friends of Music," "Sarasate," "Mostly Classic," "Harper's BAZAAR," "Hiroshima Economy," and "Look at ☆ Kure," as well as other magazines and newspapers.

 

He was requested for a contribution to "Akebono" published by the Society of Saint Paul and his message for peace was published in the magazine.

 

He received the Hiroshima Mayor's Award "Hiroshima Phoenix Award", the Hiroshima Prefectural Superintendent of Education Award "Maple Award", the Hiroshima International Cultural Foundation "Hiroshima Scalar Ship '98", the 10th Hiroshima Home Television Culture and Sports Award (the youngest award). 

 

And he received ”the Fukushima Award” from Tokyo University of the Arts, the "Sakuya Konohana Award" from Osaka City, the "Hiroshima Culture Award New Face Award", the "21st Nippon Steel Music Award Fresh Artist Award" and the "Energya Music Award".

 

He served as the guest principal concertmaster of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra from 2004 to 2006, served as the principal concertmaster until March 2012, and served as the concertmaster of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra from October 2014 to September 2024. 

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He is currently active both domestically and internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and guest concertmaster.

He also teaches younger generations, such as serving as a part-time lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts, Soai University, and Senzoku Gakuen University, and as a lecturer at various seminars.

 

​The live recording CD "Kota Nagahara Violin Recital 2013" is now on sale.

In 2022, he published his book 'Kota Nagahara's Orchestra Studies' through Sekireisha.

 

​He studied under Naoko Murakami, Machie Oguri, Chihiro Kudo, Kazuki Sawa, Robert Mann.

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