An artist who has gained worldwide acclaim for interpretative and expressive skills that reveal an exciting and diverse musical palette of color and inventiveness, pianist Chitose Okashiro appears in recitals, chamber and concerto performances throughout Japan, The United States, Canada, Europe and South America.

Miss Okashiro's appeal extends broadly to the press who hail her varyingly as "…her playing here is astonishing…it's hard to believe that she doesn't have an extra hand or two …incredible…a tour de force …if you want to be wowed by some staggering piano playing, have a listen. " (New York Times);  "I'm still innocent enough to sit in open-mouthed awe at something like Chitose Okashiro's consummate technical mastery (American Record Guide) ; "Her playing is always distinctive and quite extraordinary." "dazzling" "fabulous - how many hands does she have?- " (Fanfare). 
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Miss Okashiro's discography includes 11 CDs, all of which have received considerable acclaim from many respected music critics.  Her seventh release, an adventurous recording of  Piano Transcription of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6, Pathetique, eighth and ninth releases, Sakamoto Piano Works I & II,  tenth release, Piano Transcription of Mahler's Symphony No.1, Titan, and eleventh release, Beatles Piano Transcriptions were all on the hit chart in Japan. Her sixth release, Wagner Piano Transcriptions, received HMV Award in Japan, and her Mahler’s Titan Piano Transcription CD was chosen “Recording of the Year” on MusicWeb International in England.  Her Tchikovsky’s Pathetique Piano Transcription received “Recommande” on Classica magazine in France, received 5 stars on Diapason magazine in France and was chosen “CD of the month” on Piano magazine in Germany.  Her fifth release was her critically acclaimed all Scriabin CD featuring the world premiere recording of  “The Poem of Ecstasy”, which also received “Recommande” on Repertoire magazine in France and 5 stars on Diapason magazine in France. This was a two piano version transcribed by Conus-Okashiro. It used an “over dub multi-track recording technique” allowing Miss Okashiro to play both piano parts (something never before attempted),  to achieve a more colorful piano  sound throughout the entirety of the instrument’s vast harmonic register. In other words, “she does not like ordinary projects.”

She is active not only as a recording and performing pianist, but also as a superlative record producer. Her focus as a producer is to recognize a performer's musical personality with care and sensitivity, then to find a way of capturing and reproducing that personality as faithfully and passionately as possible. Such stimulating experience lends her as an introspective opportunity to examine herself, the pianist, through the eyes of her own self, the producer. Thereby her various activities nourish themselves from the musical intellect which resides within her, doing their part to help her grow as a more complete and well-rounded artist.

Chitose Okashiro is a regular of mainstay classical stations WQXR, WNYC and WBAI New York, KDFC and KUSF San Francisco, KKGO and KUSC  Los Angeles, KING Seattle, KOPB Portland, WFMT, WHPK and WNIB Chicago and  NHK FM Japan.  Featured on Tokyo Metropolitan TV and NHK Satellite TV during broadcasts of recitals and concerto performances throughout Japan, the constant exposure helped establish a strong media presence for her international career.

A native of Japan, Miss Okashiro won numerous honors in Japanese and international competitions including The Overseas Delegation Prize, The Japan America Association's Competition, The 1993 International Chopin Competition in Texas, The Young Artists International Competition and The 1993 Pro Piano Artist of The Year Award. She received early musical education at Toho High School of Music, her Bachelor's Degree from Toho University in Tokyo, Master's Degree from The Juilliard School with Herbert Stessin, and Professional Studies Program at Manhattan School of Music under Karl Ulrich Schnabel, son of legendary pianist Artur Schnabel.  In addition, Ms. Okashiro has appeared with conductors such as Alexander Vedernikov and Louis Fremaux among others and with orchestras all over the world including the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Argentina National Symphony Orchestra, the Chautaqua Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke in Canada and many others.

"...talented, courageous and intelligent, Chitose Okashiro embodies the essence of the coming generation of keyboard redeemers: a pianist who is true to her own self and her art..."