Akiko Suwanai is an internationally renowned Japanese violinist. In 1990, at the age of 18, she became the youngest-ever winner of the First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition.

Suwanai also won Second Prize at the Premio Paganini Competition in 1988 and at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 1989, and is a laureate of the Music Competition of Japan.

She has enjoyed a flourishing international career, performing in chamber music and recitals and collaborating with leading orchestras and conductors worldwide.

Until 2019, Akiko Suwanai played the 1714 Dolphin Stradivarius, on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation. After returning the instrument, she received the “Charles Reade” Guarneri del Gesù on loan from Japanese collector Ryuji Ueno.