Violinist Ai Nihira received her Bachelor’s degree and Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and Master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. As a chamber musician she has performed as part of the Taos School of Music, Pacific Music Festival Quartet program, Music Academy of the West, Tanglewood Music Center, CIM Intensive Quartet Seminar and CityMusic Cleveland chamber music series. She has served as Concertmaster and Principal of the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Orchestra, Yale School of Music Orchestra, CIM Orchestra and CityMusic Cleveland. She has made solo appearances with the National Repertory Orchestra, CIM Orchestra and Orquesta Sinfonica Uncuyo. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, and started the violin at age four in Seattle, Washington, with Mihoko Hirata. She later moved to Los Angeles, California, where she studied with Margaret Shimizu, Richard Schwabe and Henry Gronnier at the Colburn School of Performing Arts.
Ai Nijira’s principal teachers also include William Preucil, Stephen Rose and Peter Oundjian. She won a full-time position in the violin section of the San Diego Symphony in 2019 after serving several years there as a long-term substitute violinist.
Violinist Ai Nihira received her Bachelor’s degree and Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and Master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. As a chamber musician she has performed as part of the Taos School of Music, Pacific Music Festival Quartet program, Music Academy of the West, Tanglewood Music Center, CIM Intensive Quartet Seminar and CityMusic Cleveland chamber music series. She has served as Concertmaster and Principal of the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Orchestra, Yale School of Music Orchestra, CIM Orchestra and CityMusic Cleveland. She has made solo appearances with the National Repertory Orchestra, CIM Orchestra and Orquesta Sinfonica Uncuyo. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, and started the violin at age four in Seattle, Washington, with Mihoko Hirata. She later moved to Los Angeles, California, where she studied with Margaret Shimizu, Richard Schwabe and Henry Gronnier at the Colburn School of Performing Arts.