Profile

Kanae Nozawa encountered the erhu while performing as an actress in a stage production, became captivated by its sound, and has since pursued a career as an erhu player. In January 2007, she made her major debut as the first Japanese erhu artist on a major label.

Her playing is often praised as "singing through the instrument," featuring a uniquely lustrous and glamorous tone that captivates listeners. She possesses outstanding originality in composition and captivating stage presence, embracing a broad musicality that transcends the erhu's origins as a traditional Chinese folk instrument. In recent years, she has also focused on vocal expression, earning high praise from fellow musicians for her transparent and ethereal singing voice.

She actively participates in recordings for anime and film scores as a performer. Since 2014, she has collaborated with Japan Academy Prize-winning composer Tamiya Terashima to produce narrative-rich albums, establishing her distinctive artistic world.

Her international activities are vibrant, with concerts in Taiwan, Shanghai, Italy, and the UAE. In Finland, she has performed annually since her debut concert in 2018, and her 2024 four-city tour was a resounding success, receiving numerous comments such as "the most beautiful concert I've ever heard."

She has also performed the world premiere of Finnish composer Kalevi Aho's "Concerto for Erhu and Chamber Orchestra" with the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, continuing to enchant audiences worldwide with innovative music that fuses classical, pop, and ethnic elements.