Daishin Kashimoto

Daishin Kashimoto has been first concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2009, a position he has now held for more than fifteen years. Born in London in 1979 and raised between Japan, the United States and Germany, he was the youngest student ever admitted to the pre-college programme of New York's Juilliard School, later studying with Zakhar Bron in Lübeck and Rainer Kussmaul in Freiburg.

A laureate of the Yehudi Menuhin and Long-Thibaud international competitions, he combines his orchestral role with a busy solo career alongside the world's leading orchestras and a deep commitment to chamber music, performing with partners such as Martha Argerich, Emmanuel Pahud and Yuja Wang. His recordings include the complete Beethoven violin sonatas with Konstantin Lifschitz.

He opens Mozart Evenings on 14 June as soloist with L'Appassionata.