Yukiko Ogura joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2001. Born in Nara, Japan, Ogura began violin studies at the age of three. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music at Kyoto City University of the Arts in 1995, she performed chamber concerts throughout Japan, winning a position with the Kobe City Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Gerhard Bosse. As both violinist and violist, she participated in masterclasses by the Amadeus and Toyko String Quartets. In 1998, on the recommendation of Mazumi Tanamura and with the help of Nobuko Imai, Ogura turned her attention to playing viola, leading to worldwide chamber and solo engagements, including an appearance with the Saito Kinen Orchestra under director Seiji Ozawa. In 2000 she left Japan to pursue viola studies in the United States with Li-Kuo Chang, assistant principal viola of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She served as principal violist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and was appointed to the viola section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in May 2001. Ogura is a much-sought-after performer and recording artist who has recorded with the Nagaokakyo Chamber Ensemble directed by Yuko Mori and released a CD in 2001. She is a founding member of the Eusia String Quartet, first-prize winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2001, which also performed and recorded a CD at Round Top in 2005 with James Dick and the Eusia Quartet, and released a CD in Japan on the N&F label in 2006. She appeared on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts series in 2006,and also performed with the Vermeer Quartet as a special guest in Mozart’s Viola Quintet in C major that same year. In addition, Yukiko Ogura regularly appears at the Winter Chamber Music Festival at Northwestern University.