creating chamber music residencies that celebrate community and the transformative power of music
Becky Anderson
violinist
Mika Sasaki
pianist
the duo
Sharing a passion for chamber music and a strong belief that everyone in any community should have the opportunity to find a personal connection with music, violinist Becky Anderson and pianist Mika Sasaki joined forces to create imaginative programs of the violin-piano repertoire that can forge lasting and meaningful connections with audiences. Together, the Anderson-Sasaki Duo presents unique concerts and educational workshops that encourage dialogue and guide listeners through a personal musical exploration. They aim to share their zeal for the chamber music literature and the artistic process of performance with as many audiences as possible.
The award-winning artists have garnered much acclaim as soloists, collaborators, and educators, individually, each pursuing a multitude of artistic projects, appearing in major concert venues around the world, and collaborating with renowned ensembles. Both alumni of Music@Menlo and The Juilliard School, the duo began collaborating during their two-year fellowship with Ensemble Connect (formerly Ensemble ACJW), during which they took part in dozens of chamber music performances at Carnegie Hall, Skidmore College, public schools, and community venues around New York City and Saratoga Springs. More recently, they performed and taught at the Juilliard Summer Performing Arts in Geneva, Switzerland, and are preparing for their inaugural residency in Portland, Oregon, in the spring.
individual bios
Violinist Becky Anderson has appeared worldwide as a recitalist and chamber musician. Known for her “incisive musicality” (The Oregonian), recent appearances include chamber music performances at Carnegie Hall and tours across Europe, Asia, and South America.
Ms. Anderson’s passion for chamber music has led to festival appearances with Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Northwest, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, the Savannah Music Festival, and Music From Angel Fire. She has performed on concerts presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, as well as appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Library of Congress.
Ms. Anderson was a first prize winner at the 2013 American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition. Other awards include the bronze medal and Bach Award at the Stulberg International String Competition, as well as the youngARTS Gold Award, which led to being named a Presidential Scholar in both the Arts and Academics.
Ms. Anderson currently assists in teaching the studio of Ronald Copes at The Juilliard School, and has also served as a faculty member for the Bennington Chamber Music Conference. She worked as a partner teacher for two years with the public school students at Brooklyn High School of the Arts, and has led workshops with students at Skidmore College and Wheaton College.
Ms. Anderson is founding co-director of VOTESart, an organization that uses music to promote voter registration and civic engagement across the country. Originally from Portland, Oregon, she is an alumna of the Curtis Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and Ensemble Connect (formerly Ensemble ACJW).
Pianist Mika Sasaki is a soloist, chamber musician, and educator whose performances and teaching have taken her to the U.K., Italy, Japan, Switzerland, and throughout the U.S. Her solo debut album, Obsidian: Mika Sasaki plays Clara Schumann, released on Yarlung Records in 2016, was highly acclaimed by the Online Merker as “illuminat[ing] the artistic inspiration and creative exchange between three Romantic souls,” Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms.
Her performances have been broadcasted on WQXR, WFMT, KQAC, and Radio Sweden, and she has appeared as concerto soloist with the Sinfonia of Cambridge (U.K.), New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, 92Y Orchestra, and more recently, with the InterSchool Symphony Orchestra of New York, performing Amy Beach’s Piano Concerto in February 2019.
A versatile pianist praised for her musicianship, Dr. Sasaki has been invited to festivals such as Music@Menlo, Tanglewood, Rushmore, Estherwood, Chigiana, pianoSonoma, Taos, Yellow Barn, Aspen, Metropolis Ensemble “5 Nights, 11 Pianists,” the Focus! Festival at Lincoln Center, the Charles Ives Concert Series, and the Nord Anglia Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr. Sasaki is the pianist of Ensemble Mélange and an alumna of the Peabody Conservatory (B.M., M.M.), Ensemble Connect, and The Juilliard School (D.M.A.), where she was a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow and received the Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship upon graduation.
Based in New York City, Dr. Sasaki teaches piano and keyboard skills courses in the Evening and College Divisions at Juilliard.