Ritaro Iizuka (violin)
Ritaro Iizuka was born in Japan in 2015 and began to study the violin at the age of four with Eriko Tsuji. Currently, he receives instruction from Iman Khosrowpour. Ritaro has won many competitions including the Pelican International Music Competition, Musical Arts Competition of Orange County, Satori Summer Music Festival, String Avenue International Competition and more.
Beyond classical music, he is an active member of the pop violin group "Viorhythm," which actively performs at a variety of venues such as the Irvine Global Village Festival, Anime Expo LA, Enchant Las Vegas, and many more.
Offstage, Ritaro enjoys indulging in his hobbies which include gaming, reading books, and savoring delicious meals.
Beyond classical music, he is an active member of the pop violin group "Viorhythm," which actively performs at a variety of venues such as the Irvine Global Village Festival, Anime Expo LA, Enchant Las Vegas, and many more.
Offstage, Ritaro enjoys indulging in his hobbies which include gaming, reading books, and savoring delicious meals.
Previous Winners
- 2023 - Sophie Jelbert & Madeline Scott (flute)
- 2022 - Ryan Noda (violin)
- 2020 - Audrey Ma* (violin)
- 2019 - Taketo Hayashi (violin)
- 2018 - Jonathan Ku (cello)