Toko Inomoto
Viola

Born in Kumamoto, Japan to the parents who are both Suzuki Violin instructors, Ms. Inomoto started violin lessons at a very early age mainly under her mother. She started playing in Kumamoto Youth Orchestra at age 7, and completed a Masters of Art degree at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Department of Japanese, Faculty of Language). Her music diploma studies, on viola and violin, were completed with distinction at the Konservatorium der Stadt Wien (Conservatory of the City of Vienna). From 2000 - 2012, she played full time with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in the Viola Section.
 

In her training she was invited in 1999 to join the National Youth Orchestra of Canada as one of 3 principal violists. She joined Asian Youth Orchestra (music director: Lord Yehudi Menuhin) twice as principal 2nd violinist (90, 92), 1st violin (91), and viola (93). In 2000, also, she was asked to join Asian Youth Orchestra as principal violist. Both of Toko’s parents were centrally involved in starting the Kumamoto Youth Orchestra, one of the oldest youth orchestras in Asia, and her late father, Inomoto Otoya, played a critical role in the successful launch of the Asian Youth Orchestra in Japan.