Biography

Renowned for her “easy virtuosity ... humor, nuance ... [and] playful[ness]” (Cleveland Classical), American violinist Karisa Chiu first came to international prominence with her first prize win at the 2021 Isangyun Violin Competition, resulting in her debut with the KBS Symphony Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center. She has since gone on to solo in some of the most renowned concert halls around the world such as Severance Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Casals Forum, and has been featured as a soloist with ensembles such as the Munich Radio Orchestra, Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, Asheville Symphony, and Montgomery Symphony. A top prize winner of the Menuhin, Leopold Mozart, Stulberg, and Irving M. Klein Competitions, Karisa continues to earn recognition for her expressive depth and technical command. As the recipient of the 2025 Gerschen Cohen Award, she will make her Carnegie Hall recital debut in Weill Hall in spring 2026.

Raised in a musical family, Karisa began her studies at age two with her father, Cornelius Chiu, a first violinist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She collaborates frequently with her mother and uncle, pianists Inah Chiu and Frederic Chiu. The Chiu family has given annual concerts for two decades at the Festival of the Arts at Mohonk Mountain House. Her debut album, Home, recorded with pianist Zhu Wang, will be released by Cedille Records in fall 2025. In an exploration of the definition of belonging, the album traces her musical journey through the lens of family and the ties that have shaped her.

In addition to her solo career, Karisa is a passionate chamber musician. She is co-director of the Plymouth Chamber Players based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, an innovative chamber music collective that inspires new audiences through world-class concerts and supports young artists in the West Michigan area. Karisa has collaborated with esteemed musicians such as Jaime Laredo, Kathryn Brown, Todd Phillips, James Austin Smith, Ida Kavafian, and Colin Carr. As the first violinist of the Tesoro Quartet, formed at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Karisa received the honor of the Sidney D. and Nina Josephs Chamber Music Prize upon graduation. In other chamber groups, she has won top prizes at the Saint Paul, Fischoff, and M-Prize competitions. Karisa has performed in many chamber music festivals around the globe including Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Music@Menlo, Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, and Music from Angel Fire.

Karisa is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Catherine Cho and Donald Weilerstein. She received her Master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she was named the recipient of the Anna Y. Tringas Award for an exceptional violinist, and she previously earned her Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. Her preceding mentors include Jaime Laredo, Malcolm Lowe, Ida Kavafian, and Almita Vamos.