Kaoruko Hayashi

 Kaoruko Hayashi is a sophomore at Davis Senior High School. She currently studies piano with Akiko Gaffney and formerly studied with Helen Twiss. She was the soloist with Sacramento Youth Symphony Premier Orchestra in 2018. She won the first place in the 2018 Steinway Junior Piano Competition in Reno. In 2019, she took lessons and performed in master classes at the John Perry Academy International Piano Festival and attended in the Kirishima International Music Festival, studying under Cyprien Katsaris. Most recently, she received the Scholarship Award at the 2020 Auburn Symphony Young Artists Concerto Competition. Kaoruko enjoys performing chamber music with fellow musicians. She participated in the Winter Chamber Music Program directed by Susan Lamb Cook for consecutive four years. Her piano duo, coached by Dr. Richard Cionco, earned the Best Outstanding Gold Medalist Award at the 2020 US Open Music Competition. She also plays violin as the concertmaster of the DHS Baroque Ensemble.