Runa Matsushita
Instrument: Violin
Biography:
Runa Matsushita was born in Japan in 2005 and moved to the United States with her family when she was two years of age. She began playing violin at age three with her teacher, Mrs. Irina Briskin. When Runa was in the second grade, she joined the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra (BSYO). The following year she won first prize at the BSYO Concerto Competition (Concert Orchestra category) and performed as the soloist the first movement of Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in May 2015 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Runa has participated in several competitions, winning second place in the Intermediate Category of the Washington Performing Arts’ Joseph and Goldie Feder Memorial String Competition in 2014, third place in the Advanced Category in 2015, and second place in 2016. She also won first place in the VIVO International Music Competition in her age category (8-10 years) in 2015, VIVO Youth International Music Competition (age category 9-11 years) in 2016, and the American Fine Arts Festival Romantic Music International Competition (age category 11-14 years) in 2016. In December 2016, Runa played with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at a family concert. In 2017, she won first prize at the BSYO Concerto Competition (Concert Orchestra category) and performed Mendelssohn Violin Concerto 1st movement in May at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Runa Matsushita just graduated from the West Towson Elementary School and will join the Dumbarton Middle School this fall.
