Sonoko Asabuki
Tokyo-born Sonoko Asabuki studied viola with Nobuo Okada at the State University for the Arts and Music in Tokyo. In 2006 she obtained her Master’s degree and the “Young Artist Award”. In 2005 Sonoko won 1st prize at the Competition for String Instruments in Tochigi, and 2006 another first prize at the International Music Competition Hyogo in Japan.

In 2007 she continued her viola studies with Prof. Wolfram Christ at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg in B. in Germany, where she obtained her diploma in 2009 with distinction. Deeply touched by Early Music, she began her studies in baroque violin with professors Chiara Banchini, Leila Schayegh and Amandine Beyer at the Schola Cantorum Basiliens, obtaining her Master’s degree in historically informed performance in 2012 with distinction.

In 2011 she won 1st prize at the Wassenaer Competition in Amsterdam with the Den Haag Piano Quintet.

She has worked with renowned musicians such as Chiara Banchini, Trevor Pinnock, Gottfried von der Goltz, Seiji Ozawa and numerous ensembles and orchestras such as Il Profondo, Barockorchester Capriccio Basel, Basler Barockorchester La Cetra, L’Allegra Fonte, and Bach Collegium Japan.