The Japanese violinist was a member of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble in New York since 1989
Violinist Mitsuru Tsubota died on Monday 17 February 2025. She began her studies at the age of five, performing as a soloist with the Tokyo Symphony aged ten and was also soloist with the Hiroshima Symphony in 1983.
She moved to the US to study with Felix Galimir. Tsubota was formerly a member of the Primavera Quartet and performed regularly with the New England Bach Festival under the direction of Blanche Moyse since 1982.
She joined the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble in New York in 1989. Tsubota was also co-founder and principal violinist of the Strathmere Ensemble, and served as concertmaster for all of Westchester Oratorio Society’s choral-orchestral performances. She also served as concertmaster for many National Chorale performances, as well as for the Dennis Keene Choral Festival.
Daire FitzGerald, cellist of the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, posted a tribute on Facebook:
’Yesterday we said goodbye to an extraordinary violinist, and an even more remarkable human being. Mitsuru Tsubota will be missed so much by all of us she touched. RIP sweet angel.’
Tsubota can be seen performing as second violinist in the video below of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble players performing Brahms String Sextet no.1:
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