ERIN EMI NISHI
Violinist Violist
Erin Emi Nishi is a violinist and violist from Honolulu, Hawaii, and a member of the Juilliard based Karuna Quartet.
She is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School, studying with Masao Kawasaki. Prior to this, she graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a concentration in Neuroscience, where she first began studying viola through chamber music.
Her artistic work is informed by a parallel academic interest in music and cognition, particularly in the role of mirror neurons in empathy and human connection.
As a soloist, Nishi has appeared with the Yale Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Maui Chamber Orchestra, and Kamuela Philharmonic. She is a prize winner of the William Waite Concerto Competition at Yale Symphony Orchestra and the Nā Hōkū ʻŌpio Young Stars Concerto Competition, and has also received top prizes at the Osaka International Competition.
In 2025, she made her international concerto debut in North Macedonia and Greece. She has performed at venues including Yale’s Woolsey Hall and has collaborated with artists such as Stefan Jackiw, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Michael Nicholas, Jordan Bak, and Chee Yun Kim.
A committed chamber musician, she has participated in programs including the Hawaii Chamber Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, Yellow Barn Young Artist Program, and Kinhaven Young Artist Seminar. She is also active as a teaching artist, working with both festival programs and youth music initiatives.