Born in Osaka, Japan, violist Naoko Shimizu studied at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold and graduated with a concert exam in 2000. She has been principal violist with the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2001 and is also a sought-after soloist and chamber musician.
Naoko Shimizu was awarded 1st prize in the ARD International Music Competition in 1997, a prize that had not been awarded in the viola category for 21 years. She had previously won first prize at the Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition in 1995 and the International Competition in Geneva in 1996. In 1998 she was honored at the Young Concert Artist International Auditions in the USA (1998).
She has performed as a soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and numerous Japanese orchestras. Recital tours have also taken her to the USA, Italy and Japan.
As a passionate chamber musician, she has performed at major festivals such as the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival in Austria and the Marlboro Music Festival in the USA. She has performed with the Tokyo String Quartet and the Emerson String Quartet, among others. In addition to her concert activities, she gives master classes at home and abroad. She was a juror at the ARD International Music Competition Munich 2023, among others.

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