Pianist Asana Onishi is 22 years old and is currently enrolled at the Northwestern Univeristy under Dr. Jose Mendez. She began her piano studies at the age of 5 with Nobuyo Nishizaka, and proceeded to study under Bernadene Blaha during her four years of high school. In 2018, she graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Piano Performance at the University of Michigan under Professor Christopher Harding. Asana has been a recipient of annual scholarships awarded by the MTAC Branch and the Young Musician's Foundation since 2005.
Asana made her concerto debut as a soloist at the age of 11 with the Los Angeles Bach Orchestra in the 74th Annual Los Angeles Bach Festival in 2007. Since then, Asana has continued to perform and compete and was selected as a finalist in the Seattle International Piano Competition and placed first at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival (SYMF) Open Solo. She has won top prizes in the MTAC California State Solo Competition (2008); Music Teachers National State Competition (2009); SYMF Open Baroque (2010); American Protégé International Competition (2012); Southern California Bach Festival Competition (2013).
Recently, Asana won first place at the Liszt International Competition, and was selected for the 2014 National Young Arts winner. She has performed solo concerts in Nara, Japan, and has been invited to perform at the San Francisco Conservatory. This summer, she had a duet and solo concert in Nara and Tokyo. In the previous years, she has attended the Portland International Piano Festival, Indian University Piano Academy, International Institute for Young Musicians, the Seattle Piano Institute, the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstaedt, Austria, and the Gijon International Piano Festival in Spain. In addition, as an avid chamber musician, Asana is a member of the YMF Chamber Ensemble program and has performed with her group at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica and on KCSN 88.5 FM Sunday Live.
Asana resides in Los Angeles, but is starting her Masters Degree in Piano Performance at Northwestern University, Bienen School of Music.
