Before moving to Japan in 2006, American-Swiss cellist Jessica Cesana-Hashimoto, was performing professionally for fifteen years in New York City with orchestras, opera and musical theater productions. She was a member of the Greenwich Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Ridgefield Symphony, Westchester Symphony and appeared as a soloist with the Bridgeport Chamber Symphony. She has also performed with Broadway and off-Broadway musicians for numerous shows and recording sessions.

Ms. Cesana-Hashimoto also taught the cello and chamber music at the Merit Music School in New Canaan, Connecticut, St. David’s School, Manhattan, and ensembles at the Franklin D. Roosevelt school in Manhattan. She first traveled to Japan in 2002, with the New York Ragtime Orchestra, led by pianist Masonabu Ikemiya for concerts across Japan and then returned in 2004 performing concerts at the Osaka Dome and Osaka area with the same group. Since moving to Tokyo in 2006, with her husband and son, she has been performing chamber music concerts with pianist Azusa Sakurai, and teaching cello students from Japanese public schools, the British School and American School.

Ms. Cesana-Hashimoto, grew up in upstate NY, graduated from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, in 1990, where she earned degrees in both music education and performance. She was the recipient of the Keilocker string scholarship and student of Einar Holm, and Pamela Gearhart. Following graduation, she went to Switzerland to study with Angela Schwartz of the Basel Symphony and taught at the American School in Karlsruhe, Germany. While earning her Master’s Degree from Purchase Conservatory in 1997, she was a student of Marion Feldman, Manhattan School of Music, and Peter Wiley, cellist for the Beaux Arts Trio and Guarneri Quartet.