Baltimore native Runa Matsushita started playing the violin when she was three years old. At the age of seven, she joined the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra (BSYO) and has won first place in the BSYO concerto competition each year that she has competed. Additionally, she has soloed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra numerous times, most recently being the Season Opening Gala with Maestro Heyward and has also performed with the Amadeus Symphony and the National Chamber Ensemble. Runa was also invited to perform in front of the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Japanese Ambassador's Residence and has performed in such venues as the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, the Strathmore Music Center, and the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. She was also a National YoungArts winner, and has won prizes in many other competitions, including the National OPUS Competition, U.S. Army Young Artist Competition, and was an alternate for the Stulberg International String Competition. Over the summers, she enjoys her time at music festivals, including the Sounding Point Academy, Heifetz International Music Festival, and Morningside Music Bridge. Currently, Runa studies the violin with Ms. June Huang in VA and is a senior at Towson High School. She plays a J.B. Vuillaume violin sponsored by the Virtu Foundation.