2026 EDITION - 15th ANNIVERSARY

- AUGUST 2 TO 15, 2026

KAIRI

Japan/China
Year(s) at MISQA
Quartet members

Violin: Taiga Sasaki

Violin: Yu Mita

Viola: Jiliang Shi

Cello: Hotaka Sakai

Biography

Formed during their studies at Tokyo College of Music with Saiko Azuma, the Kairi Quartet has earned major distinctions, including Third Prize and the Haydn Prize at the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition, First Prize at the “Premio Annarosa Taddei” in Rome, and top prize at the Japan Classical Music Competition.

Based in Salzburg, where they study with Rainer Schmidt and Cibrán Sierra Vázquez at the Universität Mozarteum, the ensemble has also worked with Gerhard Schulz, Günter Pichler, and Mathieu Herzog. In recognition of their artistic excellence, the Kairi Quartet has been selected as a ProQuartet Residency Artist for the 2025–2027 cycle.