California State University
Saxophonist, Chika Inoue (井上知香) has been praised for her "beautiful tone, acute sensitivity and virtuosic technique." She has received numerous performance awards in competitions, lavishing praise as a soloist and chamber musician. Chika has performed internationally at major venues, including Walt Disney Concert Hall, Kobe International Hall, Sumida Triphony Hall, as well as many music venues across the globe. She has performed concerti with the USC’s Thornton Symphony, La Jolla Symphony Orchestra, and Culver City Chamber Orchestra, and engaged in several new concerto projects for the 2016-2017 season. Chika regularly performs in Japan, and appear in concerts all over the world. She has been a featured performing artist in international festivals such as The Faenza International Saxophone Festival in Italy, and The Yamaha Saxophone Festival in Japan. Additionally, she was recitalist and master class teacher at The International China Clarinet, and Saxophone Music Festival in Taiyuan, China and University of Arts, Berlin (UdK).
She actively looks beyond the standard saxophone repertoire for works that allow the saxophone to shine, continuously transcribing and performing works of violin, clarinet, oboe, flute, voice and piano, expanding the limits of the saxophone technique and artistry. Although her concentration has primarily been on classical music, her phenomenal musicianship is embraced by jazz, film, ethnic folk, rock and electronic musical genres in her concerts.
A native of Osaka, Japan, Chika spent most of her youth in Frankfurt, Germany and San Diego, California. She has won first prize laureate at the Japan International League of Artists Music Competition, the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Young Artists Competition, Redlands Bowl Young Artist Competition, Fresno Musical Club Bell T. Richie Award, and the Beverly Hills National Auditions. A graduate of the USC Thornton School of Music (D.M.A.), California State University, Fresno (M.A.), and UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music (B.A.), Chika is dedicated to sharing her knowledge with students internationally.
Apart from instructing the Saxophone and the Japanese language, she has experience in coaching marching band, conducting, drum major baton techniques, multiple woodwind instruments, humanities, and English as a Second Language. Chika is currently on faculty at Los Angeles City College as well as the California State University, Dominguez Hills. Chika is committed to sharing saxophone music and its diverse capabilities across the spectrum of music with audiences worldwide. She is currently based in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. www.chikainoue.com