Welcome to Yamazaki Piano Club!  Akiko is excited about teaming up with Julie Harris to build a vibrant musical community. As pianists, we can get so busy with the notes we have to play; this club is a place where we can take time to develop our musicianship, joyfully together, and celebrate the meaningful ways we can be connected in the world, such as sharing our unique interpretations of music with others.

Akiko has performed extensively as soloist and chamber musician appearing in venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. As a pedagogue, she is active as a presenter, adjudicator and master class clinician. After her undergraduate study at UNC-Chapel Hill, she took a year practicing to get ready for graduate auditions and started teaching in addition to accompanying. Akiko found her passion in teaching! She pursued this newly discovered interest, completing her masters degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at Northwestern University. After opening her private studio, she devoured many teaching books and blogs and sought advice from experienced teachers to better herself as a teacher. After over a decade of teaching, she decided to further her skills to teach advanced students by getting a doctoral degree at UNC-Greensboro, studying piano, harpsichord, and fortepiano.

As a teacher, she’s inspired by Frances Clark’s idea to develop complete musicianship at every stage of study. Her beloved high school teacher, Mrs. Van Doeren, showed her the power of joy in lessons and unconditional love for students. In addition, she’s been on a journey to explore wellness for pianists. Recently Akiko became a mom, and she’s interested in instilling the love of music in children and educating children about digital literacy and safety. Her pedagogical interests are centered around taking care of ourselves and each other as whole people.

Akiko looks forward to sharing and growing together in this musical community. She’s especially grateful for the privilege to hear your personal connection to music and learn the Art of Listening with you.