{"id":42222,"date":"2026-02-03T08:00:35","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T13:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/concoursmontreal.ca\/?post_type=cmim-competitors&p=42222"},"modified":"2026-03-16T15:35:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T19:35:24","slug":"sara-watanabe","status":"publish","type":"cmim-competitors","link":"https:\/\/concoursmontreal.ca\/en\/competitors\/sara-watanabe\/","title":{"rendered":"Sara Watanabe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c<\/span><\/i><\/b>The violin is my greatest confidant. It\u00a0is always there for me, supporting me through\u00a0difficult times\u00a0and sharing my happiest moments<\/span><\/i><\/b>.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

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HOME - CONCOURS 2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Sara Watanabe was born in\u00a0<\/span>Hy\u014dgo<\/span> and began playing the violin at the age of 3. \u201cMy mother asked me: which instrument would you like to play\u2013the piano or the violin ? I immediately answered, both!\u201d <\/span>She studies with Machie Oguri and Koichiro Harada at\u00a0the\u00a0Tokyo College of Music as a\u00a0special\u00a0scholarship student.\u00a0In 2019, she also took part in the Mozarteum International Summer Academy\u00a0where she\u00a0studied with\u00a0Zakhar Bron,\u00a0and\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>currently a Fellow of the 8<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sara\u00a0has\u00a0won several prizes,\u00a0including\u00a0First Prize and\u00a0four\u00a0special\u00a0prizes at\u00a0the\u00a0Music Competition of Japan\u00a0(2022), as well as\u00a0a prize\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0Ishikawa Music Academy Award\u00a0(2022). She was also\u00a0a\u00a0semifinalist of\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Singapore International Violin Competition<\/span>\u00a0(2022) and, more\u00a0recently,\u00a0of the\u00a0Sibelius International Violin Competition\u00a0(2025).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sara has performed with orchestras\u00a0such as the\u00a0Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra,\u00a0the\u00a0Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra,\u00a0the\u00a0Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra,\u00a0the\u00a0Hamano JACK Orchestra,\u00a0made up primarily of NHK Symphony\u00a0Orchestra members\u00a0alongside whom she performed Tchaikovsky\u2019s Violin Concerto<\/em>, and the\u00a0<\/span>Hy\u014dgo<\/span>\u00a0Performing\u00a0Arts Center Orchestra.\u00a0She describes her\u00a0concert\u00a0with the latter ensemble\u00a0as her most memorable performance. \u201cI performed a program filled with virtuoso pieces in front of an audience of 2,000 people. It was truly an unforgettable experience!\u201d\u00a0Her performance during the Concours 2026 will mark her debut in\u00a0North\u00a0America.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sara\u00a0plays\u00a0on\u00a0a 1690 Carlo Giuseppe\u00a0Testore\u00a0violin, kindly loaned by\u00a0the Nippon Violin\u00a0Society.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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PROGRAMME<\/h2>\n

FIRST ROUND<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

HEINRICH WILHELM ERNST
<\/strong>Grand Caprice on Schubert’s \u201cDer Erlk\u00f6nig\u201d, Op. 26<\/p>\n

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
<\/strong>Partita for Solo Violin No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004<\/p>\n