Kanahi Yamashita, born in Nagasaki in 1997, received her early musical education from her parents, guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita and composer Keiko Fujiie. From a young age, she performed internationally with the ‘Kazuhito Yamashita Family Quintet’ and as a duo with her father. At the age of 13, she made her solo debut in Turin. Since 2015, she has been based in Berlin, where she studied at the University of the Arts Berlin with Prof. Thomas Müller-Pering and at the Nuremberg University of Music with Prof. Björn Colell, graduating with distinction in 2026.

As a soloist, she performs at leading festivals across Europe, Mexico, China and Australia, earning international acclaim. Following her solo tour in 2024, she attracted significant attention in Japan as a “master of the new generation” and has since established herself as a highly sought-after soloist. Her appearances include performances with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Tokyo Spring Festival. In recognition of her artistic achievements, she received the 35th Idemitsu Music Award in 2026. She is also highly active as a chamber musician on the international stages. In 2025, she won the Gerhard-Vogt Chamber Music Competition together with flutist Malin Sieberns. Her wide-ranging repertoire includes her own widely acclaimed arrangements.

Her debut solo album, featuring works by Carlo Domeniconi, under whose guidance she refined her artistic skills over many years, was released in 2021. She has recorded for broadcasters including BR Klassik and NHK-FM. Kanahi is a prizewinner at numerous international competitions, including the German Guitar Prize (2019), and was a semi-finalist at the ARD Music Competition in Munich (2017). She has received scholarships from the Yamaha Music Foundation and the Rohm Music Foundation Japan, and has been a D’Addario Artist since 2021.