James Stroud

Classical Guitar Competition

2025

presented by the

Cleveland International Classical Guitar Festival®

and hosted by the

Cleveland Institute of Music

Mari Sato (USA)
Violinist Mari Sato has enjoyed a rich and varied career as a chamber musician based in Cleveland. Described as “a visceral and engaging storyteller,” by clevelandclassical.com, Mari was the second violinist of the award-winning Cavani String Quartet for twenty-four years. During her tenure with the Cavani Quartet, Mari gave concerts on major series, including Carnegie Hall, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Festival de L’Epau in France, and the Honolulu Chamber Music Society.

Ms. Sato is honored to have collaborated with many distinguished artists including members of the Cleveland, Juilliard, Miami, Ying, Emerson, Borodin, Amadeus, St. Lawrence and Colorado String Quartets, the Weilerstein Trio, Itzhak Perlman, Robert Mann, Anton Nel, Stephanie Blythe and Charles Neidich. Music festival appearances and residencies include The Aspen Music Festival, The New World Symphony, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Interlochen Center for the Arts, The Perlman Music Program, ChamberFest Cleveland, and Encore Chamber Music.

Formerly on faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music 1995-2018, Mari Sato and her colleagues coached many outstanding young musicians in the Intensive Quartet Seminar and the Apprentice Quartet Seminar. Former chamber music students include members of the Jupiter, Daedalus, Aeolus, Miró, Fry Street, Verona and Afiara Quartets, as well as members of the Cleveland, St. Paul, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, and New York Philharmonic Orchestras. From 2018-2020, Ms. Sato worked with students at the Oberlin Conservatory and the MYCO chamber music program in North Carolina. She continues to play chamber music with her colleagues in CityMusic Cleveland, Heights Arts, No Exit New Music Ensemble, and the Bluestreak Ensemble.

Ms. Sato received her musical training at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Michigan. Her mentors include David Cerone, Paul Kantor, and Peter Salaff.