Chika Nobumori, pianist, is currently in candidacy for a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance at University of California, Santa Barbara studying with pianist Robert Koenig. She is a native of Japan where she started her piano lessons at age 4 with Miwako Shimizu. Upon moving to Ventura County at age nine, she continued her studies with Ryoko Sone and Edward Francis. In her youth, she regularly participated in festivals and competitions, and her first appearance as a concerto soloist was at age 17.
Chika holds a Bachelor in Science in applied mathematics with specialization in computing from University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated with honors. After her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a biochemistry research associate at the Department of Human Genetics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine leading to authorships on several peer-reviewed journal articles. During this time, she studied piano privately and was featured as a concerto soloist under conductor Kevin McKeown. Chika also spent her free time teaching piano at non-profit organizations and performing as a chamber pianist in greater Los Angeles area including Pasadena, South Bay, and Ventura
County.
Following this, Chika obtained her Masters in Music in piano performance from California State University, Northridge where she studied with Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov. She was a scholarship recipient, a teaching assistant for the music and mathematics department, and graduated with recognition. She has participated in music festivals, seminars, and has had masterclasses with distinguished pianists including John Perry, Peter Takács, Timothy Ehlen, Eugene Alcalay, and Rufus Choi, among others. In 2020 and in 2023, she participated in masterclass with pianist Yefim Bronfman through UCSB Arts & Lectures. At UCSB, she has taught group and individual piano, and worked as a TA for Music Appreciation, Music Fundamentals, as well as for Japanese. In 2023, she was nominated for UCSB’s Outstanding TA Award. Outside of her school activities, she is also active as a collaborative pianist for instrumentalists and choral groups, as well as an instructor at private and non-profit organizations. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty collaborative pianist at Westmont College. Chika believes in the accessibility of music, and hopes to continue to teach and perform to bring people together and serve communities.