Japanese-American violinist Natsuko Takashima is a passionate chamber and orchestral musician praised for her distinguished playing and graceful leadership. She currently freelances out of Boston, MA with ensembles such as the Classical Music Institute, Sarasota Orchestra, and Continuum Chamber Collective.
Most recently she held the position of Interim Principal Second Violin in the Louisville Orchestra and Section Violin at the Colorado Music Festival. Prior to Louisville, Natsuko was a Fellow at the New World Symphony where she regularly performed as Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin. She was selected to represent NWS as a violinist in the quartet-in-residence for two consecutive years at the Sitka Music Festival.
Natsuko holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School and a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan for violin performance.
Outside of performing, Natsuko is an emerging arts administrator that is passionate about supporting the future of classical music. Since June 2023 she has worked in fundraising as the Development Coordinator at the Handel and Haydn Society. Before H+H, Natsuko was the Development and Marketing Manager at VIA Academy and organized their 2023 Spring #EmpowerVIA Campaign.