Concert saxophonist Chika Inoue has been praised by The Los Angeles Times for her “beautiful tone, acute sensitivity, and virtuosic technique.” Al Schmitt, 20-time GRAMMY Award-winning recording engineer and producer, remarked, “Most delicate tone I have heard throughout my career,” while James Conlon, Music Director of LA Opera, commended her “beautiful sound.” She appears regularly as a saxophonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has received numerous awards in competitions, earning recognition as both a soloist and chamber musician. Chika has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, appearing as a soloist at the Granada Music Festival in Spain, Faenza International Saxophone Festival in Italy, Astoria Music Festival, Yamaha Saxophone Festival in Japan, and the International China Clarinet and Saxophone Music Festival, among others. Additional performances include appearances with the Pacific Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Santa Monica Symphony, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, Culver City Chamber Orchestra, and California Opera.

Her recent projects reflect a diverse and evolving artistic voice across genres and collaborations. In 2026, Chika was featured on the album Frenetic Domain by jazz saxophonist and composer Shawn Maxwell, a project that explores a dynamic collaboration between classical and jazz styles, blending her refined classical sound with Maxwell’s expressive and improvisatory approach. In 2023, she formed a rare saxophone and bandoneon duo with Ville Hiltula from Finland. With sponsorship from the Embassy of Argentina, the duo toured Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Kanazawa.

For many years, Chika has also divided her time in Japan, performing duo recitals with master pianist Mikiko Yamaguchi. Their work has been supported by grants including the Osaka Cultural Art Grant, Kakehashi-Roland Foundation, and Okayama Cultural Artists Creation Foundation, enabling performances at venues across Japan.

Earlier projects include her 2022 release of Nikolai Kapustin’s Saxophone Concerto, Op. 50, commemorating the composer’s passing, which received considerable acclaim. She was also featured on Louis Andriessen’s album The Only One (2021), nominated for the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. In 2020, she co-founded Chika & Scott, a classical guitar and saxophone duo with guitarist Scott Morris, releasing their debut album Unfettered on the Samek Music label, recorded at Capitol Records “Studio A” in Hollywood with producer Niko Bolas and recording engineer Al Schmitt.

A native of Osaka, Japan, Chika spent much of her youth in Frankfurt, Germany, and San Diego, California. She received her bachelor’s degree in Saxophone and Music Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, her master’s degree from California State University, Fresno, and completed her academic training with a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Southern California. In demand as a master teacher, she lectures internationally at schools, colleges, and universities. She is currently on faculty at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, as well as California State University, Los Angeles, and California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Chika is a Conn-Selmer Performing Artist, endorsed by Henri Selmer Paris saxophones, as well as Vandoren, Key Leaves, and lefreQue. She is committed to sharing classical saxophone music and its diverse capabilities across a broad musical spectrum with audiences worldwide. She is also a GRAMMY Voting Member and is based in Los Angeles, California, and Kyoto, Japan. https://chikainoue.com/