Toshiya Nishi

Instruments taught: Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano

Styles taught: Classical

Based in: Palo Alto

Toshiya has performed in the second violin section of the Santa Cruz Symphony since 2000. He started violin lessons at the ripe old age of 14, although he has studied piano since he was 5. There was always a violin sound in his family, from his father and sister playing, as well as from recordings of the great Viennese violinists of the past such as Fritz Kreisler, Willi Boskovsky, Walter Barylli and the Vienna Konzerthaus Quartet. Toshiya studied with Teresa Merchant of Palo Alto, while being influenced by Jan Novak of Redwood City who owned a restaurant called Gypsy Cellar, and played Central and Eastern European light music on violin there. Toshiya was accepted into the California Youth Symphony senior orchestra after playing the violin for barely a year. While attending Santa Clara University, he studied with Gideon Grau, Laura Caballero (violin), Dale King (chamber music), and Hans Boepple (piano). Toshiya graduated from Santa Clara with a BA in music.

Since graduation, Toshiya has studied with Elise Christianson of San Francisco and Dale King of San Jose. As for cello, he has studied with Malkhaz Dediashvili and Karen Houston. He has played with various orchestras and ensembles around the Bay Area including Symphony San Jose, Monterey Symphony, Fremont Symphony, West Bay Opera, Bay Shore Lyric Opera, Modesto Symphony, Stockton Symphony, Espressivo Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Monterey and Napa Valley Symphony, as well as appearing with Van Cliburn Competition winner Jon Nakamatsu in a chamber music concert. As an orchestra musician, he has played with Peter Serkin, Jon Nakamatsu, Yuja Wang, Gary Graffman, Angela Hewitt, Philippe Bianconi, Roy Bogas, Elmar Oliveira, Sarah Chang, Alexander Sitkovetzky, Chee-Yun, Nathaniel Rosen among others. Toshiya has 30 years of teaching violin, viola, piano, and up to intermediate cello.

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Chi Chen