Yoko Ara & Takehiko Yamada
Biography Yoko Ara & Takehiko Yamada
Yoko Ara
Born in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating from TOHO GAKUEN High School of Music and entering TOHO GAKUEN University, she transferred to Illinois State University, Department of Music, on full scholarship in 1986. While there, she joined Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
In 1989 she transferred to Rutgers University and received a Bachelor of Music Degree in 1990. She won the third prize in the Graham Stahl Music Competition.
She entered The Julliard School of Music in 1990 and was the principal cellist for The Julliard Orchestra. She graduated from The Julliard School with a Master of Music Degree.
In 1992 she held a recital at Lincoln Center.
After coming back to Japan, she started giving recitals at various music halls throughout Japan.
She received “The Music Festival Award” at Tateshina Heights.
In 2002, she had a decennial recital titled “New York Memories” at Toppan Hall, with favorite comments in respective fields.
In November 2003, she was appointed as a cellist of Banquet Music at The Commemoration Lecture by Bill Clinton; the 42nd President of the U.S. in Fukuoka.
In October 2004, she performed at Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, in New York titled “Ginza classics in New York”.
In November 2006, she gave a recital at St. John’s, Smith Square in London.
Now she is one of the most popular cellist in Japan, performing as a regular member of the “Super Cello Ensemble”, in Miyazaki International Music Festival and also as a member of “Saito Kinen Music Festival”, ”Mito Chamber Orchestra” as well as “Tokyo Opera Nomori Orchestra” under Artistic Director, SEIJI OZAWA. She has a unit with a harpist, Mieko Inoue called “Duo Champagne”.
She also appears frequently as a guest principal cellist for the major Orchestras in Japan.
She released her original CD album titled “THE CINEMA OF REMINISCENCE-PLEIN SOLEIL” in October 2003, which is well accepted and increasing her fans in Japan.
Her cello teachers are Mr. Juro Aoki, Mr. Ko Iwasaki, Mr. B. Greenhouse, and Mr. H. Shapiro, and also chamber music by Ms. Shuku Iwasaki, Mr. J. Feldman, and a respective member of The Julliard Quartet.
Concurrently, she is the Faculty of Senzoku Gakuen School of Music (Tokyo, Japan).
Takehiko Yamada
studied composition at the graduate school of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.
