Mariko Inaba-Messina is a violinist of Japanese origin who grew up in the United States, where she began her musical studies in Dallas. Early on, she benefited from the teaching of the legendary Erick Friedman, a direct student of Jascha Heifetz and Nathan Milstein. She continued her training with David Cerone and Felix Galimir at the Cleveland Institute of Music, then at Mannes College in New York. She further refined her skills with masters such as Igor Oistrakh and Aaron Rosand.
Alongside her studies, Mariko Inaba-Messina embarked on an active solo career, performing regularly in the United States and Europe: in Prague, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Riga, Odense, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, as well as at the Beethoven Society in Washington, D.C., Alice Tully Hall in New York, and at numerous festivals such as Garrett Lakes, Arcadia Music Festival, Festival Serenade, Fondation Polignac, Caunes-Minervois, and Les Allées Chantent.
She has shared the stage with renowned musicians such as Marc Coppey, Lise Berthaud, Pierre Lenert, Patrick Messina, Hélène Dautry, Raphaël Perraud, Edgar Moreau, Fabrizio Chiovetta, Clément Lefebvre, and Matthias Buchholz.
As a soloist, she has performed with prestigious orchestras such as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Fine Arts Chamber Orchestra, and the Odense Symphony Orchestra.
She has also been a guest on several American radio and television programs, including CBS Sunday Morning.
From the age of nine, Mariko Messina won several first prizes in national competitions in the United States (Music Teachers National Association, National Young Artist Competition, Richardson McCarty Competition).
She subsequently distinguished herself on the international stage, becoming a laureate of the Montreal International Competition, the Heida Hermanns International Young Artist Competition, and the Carl Nielsen Competition, where she received Third Prize as well as a Special Jury Prize.
Finally, she was a member of the first violin section of the Metropolitan Opera in New York for seven years, performing under the direction of prestigious conductors such as James Levine and Valery Gergiev, Leonard Slatkin, and Christian Thielemann.