Erina Saito is an artist who interprets music with sensitive colors and emotions throughout her passionate and captivating performances. A native of Tokyo, Japan, Ms. Saito is an international soloist and collaborative pianist who has performed in Japan, the United States, Italy, and Switzerland. Her performance can be often heard on Capital Public Radio. 

 

As ​a soloist, Ms. Saito performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Sierra College Wind Symphony. She also performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Sacramento State Summer Symphony and the Sierra College Wind Symphony, and Schumann's Piano Concerto with the Sacramento State School of Music Orchestra. Ms. Saito performed numerous premiers both as a soloist and collaborative pianist including a collaboration with Citywater, a modern chamber ensemble for Festival of New American Music at Sacramento State School of Music. 

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Ms. Saito is currently a faculty member at Sierra College and the artist faculty of the Orfeo International Festival in Italy. In addition, she taught piano classes at Sacramento State School of Music in 2019. She is also a member of the National Music Honor Society, Pi Kappa Lambda and the Music Teachers Association of California. Ms. Saito is regularly invited to adjudicate music competitions and festivals. She received her Masters degree in Piano Performance at Sacramento State School of Music. 

 

Throughout her childhood in Japan Ms. Saito has received numerous compositional prizes including a trip to Finland for her very first composition. Since her arrival to the United States, Ms. Saito has won numerous scholarships and awards. For instance, she was the winner of the Sacramento State Concerto Competition in 2012 and received an honorable mention of the UC Davis Concerto Competition in 2013. She was also the first prize-winner of the Student Performance Artist Competition for the Festival of New American Music at Sacramento State in 2012 for playing Richard Cionco's composition "Postcards" in which "R street" was dedicated to her. In addition, she was the winner of the same Student Performance Artist Competition the previous year 2011, and a Saturday Club Scholarship winner in 2010, as well as the winner of the Student of the Year Award for Sierra College's Music Department in 2008. Ms. Saito has also performed with the Sacramento Philharmonic, the California Youth Symphony, Camellia Symphony Orchestra, and the Sacramento State Symphony Orchestra. As a collaborative pianist, her piano quartet won 1st prize for the A.J. and Susi Watson Student Chamber Music Competition Scholarship. The previous year, her piano trio was announced as the honorable mention of the same competition. 

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She truly enjoys traveling around the world and spending time with her family and friends sharing delicious food and drinks. Her favorite drinks are champagne and sparkling wine. Also, she likes taking a walk with her family on a beautiful day. She also loves singing, especially J-pop from 90's and early 2000's.