Pianist Kaoruko “Kako” Hayashi is a Bachelor of Music candidate at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University (Class of 2026), where she studies with Dr. Jon Kimura Parker. A recipient of the Shepherd Society Award and a consistent President's Honor Roll scholar, Kako was named a Finalist in the 2025 Shepherd School of Music Concerto Competition for her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. She also received an Honorable Mention at the 2025 Young Texas Artists Music Competition. 
Her recent performance highlights include being selected as the sole featured student performer to open the Shepherd School’s 2025 Convocation ceremony with Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso. She also performed the first movement of Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in the Spotlight Recital Series at Harris Concert Hall during the Aspen Music Festival and School. She has appeared as a soloist with the Orchestra Virtuosi Brunenses and the Sacramento Youth Symphony, and recently performed orchestral piano works with the Texas Medical Center Orchestra and the Houston Youth Symphony. 
Kako has furthered her studies at prestigious summer programs, most recently attending the Aspen Music Festival and School (Michel Béroff Studio) and Bay Pianofest in 2025. She has participated in masterclasses with renowned artists, including Arie Vardi, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Jon Nakamatsu, Alan Chow, Jerome Lowenthal, and Akiko Ebi. An avid chamber musician, she performed Ravel’s Piano Trio and Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1 at Rice and the Schumann Piano Quartet at Aspen, bringing a unique perspective to collaboration as a former violinist and concertmaster at her high school orchestra.