Episode 076 - Chika Inoue; Expanding the limits of the saxophone technique and artistry

Chika Inoue, has been praised for her beautiful tone, acute sensitivity and virtuosic technique. She has received numerous performance awards in competitions, lavishing praise as a soloist and chamber musician. Chika has performed internationally at major venues, appearing as soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Germany, Italy, China, and Japan.

Chika transcribes and performs works beyond the standard classical repertoire, performing works of violin, clarinet, oboe, flute, voice and piano, expanding the limits of the saxophone technique and artistry.

A native of Osaka, Japan, Chika spent most of her youth in Frankfurt, Germany and San Diego, California.

She is currently on faculty at Los Angeles City College as well as the California State University, Dominguez Hills. 

Chika is endorsed by Vandoren, Selmer, Key Leaves, and LeFreque.

The link to her full biography, along with more Resources for this episode, is on our website.

In this interview, we talked about: 

• How to shape your sound to create color/timbre
• Why singing her piano parts helped her overall musicality
• Her #1 tips for saxophone students of all ages
• The difference between projecting your sound for classical performances vs. popular music
• The benefits and problems of having perfect pitch
• Repertoire recommendations
• The benefits of transcribing classical music from other instruments
• And more

Become a supporter of the Everything Saxophone Podcast!

Go to our Patreon Page, and for a small monthly donation (from $2-$5), you get behind-the-scenes access to footage from the interviews that is not released anywhere else.