Ikuko Kawai is a Japanese violinist and composer. Born January 19, 1968 in Takamatsu, Kagawa prefecture, she graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (now Tokyo University of the Arts). Since debuting with Red Violin in 2000, Kawai has released about nine albums to date. She plays on a 1715 Stradivarius violin belonging to Osaka University of the Arts, where she also teaches. Her husband is Tokyo Medical and Dental University professor Hiroshi Takayanagi. Read more on Last.fm