About this Artist

Tokyo-born violist RICHARD ELEGINO has been a resident of California since 1972 and a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1980. He has studied with Fumiki Asazuma, V. Barstow and L. Kievman. Every year, Elegino spends the month of June in Japan, where he visits and gives free chamber music concerts at local elementary and middle schools, schools for children with special needs, and hospitals. He has also been a member of the Astre Quartet for over ten years. He founded the Ohta Pacific Chamber Players in 2003 and served as the conductor/director for five years, giving free chamber orchestra concerts to the residents of his hometown, Ohta. His conducting credits include the 9-11 Memorial Concert in Jodo Shu Temple and Japan’s Great Earthquake Charity Concert in the City of Cerritos. Since his travels to El Sistema in Caracas, Venezuela with Gustavo Dudamel in 2012, Elegino has been involved in YOLA (Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles), and in Japan’s El Sistema in Fukushima and Iwate.