Koharu Sakiyama

Posted on March 31, 2021

Camerata PYP will be premiering Koharu ‘s new piece Suite du Cirque on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at 7:00 PM PT on PYP’s YouTube channel.

Koharu Sakiyama is a junior at West Linn High School. She has been composing since age five and currently studies with Michael Johanson. She has won 3rd place in the 2014 Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC) Composers Today State Contest, was the winner of the 2018 OMEA State Composers Contest, received honorable mention in the 2018 National Association for Music Education Composers Competition, honorable mention in the 2020 OMEA State Composers Contest, was the Co-Champion for the 2021 OMEA State Composers Contest, and runner-up in the 2021 Hayes School of Music National Composition Contest. Koharu is also part of fEARnoMUSIC’s Young Composers Project. In addition, Koharu has been playing the violin for twelve years and currently studies with Carol Sindell.

She has been a member of the Portland Youth Philharmonic for seven years and was the Co-Concertmaster of the Conservatory Orchestra for the 2017-18 season and the Assistant Concertmaster of the Young String Ensemble for the 2014-15 season. She was a winner of the 2019 Monday Musical Club Scholarship Competition. Koharu has played the koto, a traditional Japanese instrument, for four years and is currently a member of the Oregon Koto Kai. She also plays alto saxophone in her high school symphonic band. Outside of music, Koharu enjoys ski racing and skis for her high school varsity team.

Camerata PYP will premiere her new piece Suite du Cirque. The piece has five movements: I. Danse Cirque, II. Tightrope, III. Clown Act, IV. Trapeze, V. Wheel of Death.