is a promising fresh vocalist of Japanese descent, currently based in Tkarón:to, Ontario. Driven by a love for culture, psychology and storytelling, she garners creative inspiration from the raw human emotions that fuel, at times absorb, and interlace our lives.
With a background of 20 years of study as a violinist which eventually expanded its roots to singing, Chihiro is an active soprano, actor and collaborator in opera, theatre and workshop spaces. Recognized for her immersed stage presence, she has most recently lived in the shoes of Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Fumiko (Hana’s Suitcase), Nausicaa (Castaway), Cathleen (Riders to the Sea) and Noa (The Observer Effect). Her premiere performances include Sister Clotilde (The Avenue of Avarice), Phoebe (Lysistrata), and Speech Giver (L’anima del filosofo). Fall 2026 will see Chihiro as Yuki in the world premiere performance of Stratford’s Reimu, for which she also serves as co-librettist.
Photo by Sam Gaetz.
Chihiro is a founding member of the Hibiki Project, a Toronto-based collective committed to expanding the prominence of Japanese and related musical/cultural works within and beyond the community. Founded in 2021, Hibiki has strived to connect like-minded artists in the creation, exploration and performance of ever-evolving projects that invite intercultural and interdisciplinary collaboration. Taking its foundational values from the term “hibiki” — translating to “sound quality,” “echo,” and “resonance,” these elements are reflected within the collective’s attempts to expand the borders of existing performance practices and audience experiences.
When not on the stage or pursuing her studies as a violinist, Chihiro builds her portfolio as an arts administrator and producer. Recently, she served as Assistant Audio Producer for Teiya Kasahara’s upcoming album, Triptych, as well as the Assistant Company Manager of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Interplay program. In previous seasons, she served as Production Assistant to Amplified Opera’s digital development workshop, Infinity Café, and was Associate Producer of the concert series, AMPLIFY 1.0.
A strong advocate of Japanese recital and choral repertoire, Chihiro offers Japanese Lyric Diction Consultation for industry clients, and has had the pleasure of working with ensembles including babεl, Soundstreams Choir 21, Exultate Chamber Singers and Brampton Children’s Chorus. She served on Faculty with The Marigold Music Program’s Summer Music Intensive in 2021 and 2022.
A graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, Chihiro holds a B.Mus with Honours in Vocal Performance and a M.Mus in Opera Performance.
