Ikuko Kawai

Among Kawai's favorite childhood memories are going to the cinema with her father Kiyoshi; she was captivated by film's soundtracks.[3][4] She took music lessons in Marugame City and later attended Tokyo University of the Arts for her Bachelor's and graduate degrees.[5] She also attended the Vienna Conservatory of Music.[6]

Kawai has performed both in Japan and internationally,[7] including with the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.[6] She performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2008[8][9][7] and at the Paris Opera House in 2015.[10][8][9] In March 2019, she performed The Tale of Genji to open the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C..[10] Kawai has appeared alongside and collaborated with musicians and artists such as Tsutomu Sekine,[11] Manami Konishi, Miyu Sakihi, Jun Shibuki, Akinori Nakagawa, Masafumi Akikawa,[4][7] Myung-whun Chung, José Carreras,[12] and Gipsy Kings.[9]

Kawai incorporates Japanese instruments, including the shakuhachi, biwa, shō, taiko drums, hichiriki, and koto, into her music.[13][14][15] She has performed on a number of unique and rare instruments, including on the world's first glass violin (2008),[16] on a 1715 Stradivarius owned by the University of Osaka (2021),[17][18] and on a violin crafted by Francesco Rugeri.[19] In addition to performing, she teaches at Osaka University.[20][3]

Kawai composed for the films Torokko (2009), Trolley (2010), A Chorus of Angels (2016), and Midnight Bus (2017);[9][21] her music is also used as the theme song for Awaiting Kirin.[22] In 2016, she won the Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Music for Junji Sakamoto's film A Chorus of Angels.[23][13][7][24] In 2022, she provided music for the drama Yakumo Tachi at the Izutsu Costume Series along with Seigo Yoshii.[25]

She appeared on TV Tokyo's miniseries 100 Years of Music[1] and in 2016 in the documentary Kanojo no Debut 15th Anniversary Commemoration, Japanese Violin Music Journey Beginning in Paris on Nippon BS Broadcasting.[24] In December 2021, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Red Violin, her first release, Kawai wrote, directed, produced, and composed the musical The Day Embraced by the Moon / Prologue which brings together Marie Antoinette and Gracia Hosokawa. It was performed at the Umeda Arts Theater in Tokyo.[7][26] In 2022, she formed the Japanese-Western mixed orchestra Hibiki.[20] Additionally, she hosts the Tokyo FM radio show Ikuko Kawai Unframed.[27]

Kawai's songs are popular performance music among professional ice skaters: Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov performed to "Violin Muse" at the 2013 European Figure Skating Championships;[28] Yuzuru Hanyu skated to her song "White Legend" at the 2014 Sochi Olympics;[29] Nam Nguyen performed to "White Legend" at 2021 Skate America;[30] Naoki Rossi skated to her music at the 2023 World Junior Figure Skating Championships;[31] and Shun Sato performed to "Red Violin" at the 2023 International Challenge Cup.[32]

Kawai is the single mother of a daughter, Kanon, who appeared with her onstage for the first time in The Day Embraced by the Moon / Prologue as young Gracia Hosokawa.[33][4][7] In 2015, Kawai was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the All Japan Shrines and Temples Tourism Association.[9] She is also a supporter of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.[20]

• 2000: Red Violin[7]
• 2001: Violin Muse
• 2002: Instinct
• 2004: Aurora
• 2005: Arashigaoka/Wuthering Heights[34]
• 2006: La Japonaese
• 2007: Violin Muse: The Best of Ikuko Kawai
• 2008: The New World
• 2010: Reborn[17]
• 2014: The Melody ~ 100 Years of Music ~[1]
• 2016: LINK ~The Best of Ikuko Kawai~[24]
• 2017: LUNA[23][29]
• 2021: Violin on Ice[17]