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YOSHIKO ARAHATA
A sensitive and versatile pianist in styles ranging from Baroque to Contemporary, Yoshiko Arahata maintains a multifaceted musical career across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Top prize winner of national and international competitions including the Bradshaw & Buono International Competition and the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, Arahata has had solo performances at the Amalfi International Piano Festival (Italy), Gijon International Piano Festival (Spain), International Piano Academy Moulin d’Andé (France), Ritos Project (Greece), AmiCa Associazione musicale internazionale de Calatinoin in Sicily (Italy), Preston Bradley Hall (Chicago), Roppongi Concert Hall (Japan), and Hong Kong Cultural Centre (Hong Kong). She has performed as a soloist with traditional orchestras as well as contemporary ensembles featuring living composers Wolfgang Rihm, Steve Reich, and Aaron Jay Kernis.
A sought-after collaborative and chamber musician, Arahata has performed with the renowned violinist, Charles Castleman, and musicians from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Rochester Philharmonic. Arahata has also appeared at the Garth Newel Music Center Chamber, several radio broadcasts, and toured as a member of the Elgin Trio. An avid contemporary music performer, improvisor, and composer, she also engages in cross-genre and interdisciplinary collaborations; recent highlights include a “Music After 2000” Midwest tour with percussionist Joshua Graham through the LuminArts Cultural Foundation grant, premieres of her original compositions for dance choreography shows including “Time to Change” at the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival, and a presentation at the International Society for Improvised Music Conference.
Equally committed to education, Arahata has taught piano students of diverse ages and levels at the Eastman Community Music School, Northwestern University, University of Rochester, and the Eastman School of Music, where her teaching was recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Assistant Award. In addition, she teaches frequently at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and in master classes at various colleges and piano festivals, most recently at the Texas State International Piano Festival.
Arahata holds degrees in Piano Performance at the Eastman School of Music (B.M., D.M.A.) and Northwestern University (M.M.) under the guidance and mentorship of Barry Snyder, Alan Chow, Enrico Elisi, and Dariusz Terefenko. Arahata currently holds piano and collaborative piano faculty positions at the Hochstein School of Music, Nazareth College, University of Rochester, and serves on the improvisation committee for the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy.