This week on the podcast, we welcome ORiHANA, a Chicago-based J-pop and anime duo founded by award-winning musicians: violinist Olya Prohorova and pianist Hana Fujisaki.
Enamored with heartfelt Japanese pop melodies from an early age, violinist Olya Prohorova founded ORiHANA after discovering J-pop through anime. Her passion for Japanese music and culture evolved into ORiHANA, a modern project reimagining beloved songs from anime series and films, alongside popular tracks by celebrated Japanese artists including Spitz, Mika Nakashima, RADWIMPS, Angela Aki, Suneohair, YUI, and Kenshi Yonezu. ORiHANA brings a fresh perspective to well-known music, rearranging pieces for violin and piano by blending Olya’s classical foundation with Hana’s jazz expertise. Their work is featured on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
Violinist Olya Prohorova is a versatile musician whose career spans multiple genres, from classical to rock, country, and bluegrass. Ms. Prohorova has performed internationally across Italy, Germany, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Japan, the United States, and Canada, winning awards at violin and chamber music competitions and sharing the stage with prominent artists like Augustin Dumay, Tessa Lark, Anna Tifu, and Uto Ughi. She has performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. with Grammy-winning artist PJ Morton, and has recorded as a studio musician with celebrated artists including Kirk Franklin, John Legend, and Chronixx. In 2021, she teamed up with pianist Hana Fujisaki to create ORiHANA.
Hana Fujisaki is one of Chicago’s most sought-after pianists, organists, composers, and music educators. She has earned honors at multiple music competitions, including the Yamaha Electone Festival and the Luminarts Jazz Competition. Hana studied organ at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo, Japan, before moving to Chicago to advance her musical career. She earned her Bachelor of Music from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, studying jazz with Jim Trompeter, Scott Mason, and Paul Wertico, and her Master of Music from Northwestern University under Jeremy Kahn and Victor Goines. In addition to her degrees, Hana holds a Yamaha teaching certification and currently teaches jazz and classical piano and directs a choir at Harold Washington College. As a performer, she collaborates with diverse musical projects including Chicago Samba, soul artist Brandon James, Los Perros Cubanos, the Forever Frida project, and ORiHANA.
In this entertainment industry-focused version of Japan Expert Insights, Michael William Foster and co-host Maya Matsuoka will explore the multifaceted world of Japanese entertainment, culture, and industry trends. We’ll feature in-depth discussions every other week with leading experts who offer valuable perspectives on the latest developments and timeless aspects of Japan’s entertainment landscape.