Profile

Kanae Nozawa is a renowned Japanese erhu player and vocalist who first encountered the erhu during a stage performance as an actress and was instantly captivated by it, leading her to pursue a career as an erhu performer ever since.

In January 2007, she became the first Japanese erhu player to make a major label debut.

Her performances, often praised as sounding like singing, are renowned not only for that quality but also for her original compositions brimming with creativity, captivating stage presence, broad musicality unbound by the erhu's traditional role as a Chinese folk instrument, and a distinctive, glamorous tone that enchants listeners' hearts.

In recent years, she has increasingly focused on vocal expression alongside the erhu, earning high acclaim from fellow musicians for her transparent and luminous singing voice.

She has also participated in recordings for anime and film soundtracks, thriving as a versatile player.

Since 2014, she has collaborated with Japanese Academy Award-winning composer Tamiya Terashima to create richly narrative albums, establishing her own unique worldview.

Her international activities are vibrant: concerts in Taiwan in 2009 and Shanghai in 2010, with her first performance in Finland in 2018 kicking off annual appearances there. Her 2024 four-city tour in Finland was a resounding success, drawing numerous comments like "the most beautiful concert I've ever heard."

In May 2025, she performed with Terashima in Sharjah, UAE, alongside an Italian orchestra. In November 2025, she gave the world premiere of Finnish composer Kalevi Aho's Concerto for Erhu and Chamber Orchestra with the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, receiving enthusiastic praise.

With her innovative music fusing classical, pop, and folk elements, she continues to captivate audiences both in Japan and abroad.