Yūko Miyagawa

Yuko Miyagawaga (born December 24, 1968) is a Japanese cellist. She was born in Tokyo. Her father is composer Tadayoshi Miyagawaga, and her grandfather is conductor Hidemaro Konoye.

She started playing the cello at the age of five, influenced by her grandfather's teaching philosophy. During her compulsory education, she graduated from the music department of Toho Gakuen Girls' High School, and afterward completed the diploma course at the same university. She further graduated top of her class from the Salzburg Mozarteum University in Austria and obtained a master's degree from the graduate school of the same university (completed in 1996). Simultaneously, she studied in the soloist course at the Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome, Italy. Around this time, she began performing in Europe.

Her teachers include Sōichi Katsuta, Keiko Matsunami, Heidi Rischauer, and the late Arturo Bonucci. In chamber music, she studied with the Hagen String Quartet, Hans Legrath, and Menahem Pressler, among others. Additionally, she was invited by the late Alexander Schneider to participate in string seminars in New York.

Her awards include winning the 6th Tokyo International Chamber Music Competition, the Hideo Saito Award, and the Asahi Beer Prize. She has also won or been a runner-up at the Calabria Arts Festival Competition in Italy and the Pinerolo International Chamber Music Competition.

Currently based in Japan and Germany, she is active internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. Her recital series in Japan is held annually, featuring a diverse repertoire. These performances have received significant critical acclaim.

Not only in Japan but also in Arab countries and Singapore, she has been invited to perform concertos with orchestras and conduct master classes at local music academies. She has performed at various ceremonies such as the Ise Grand Shrine Reconstruction Festival, the annual festival at Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, and the 1200th anniversary of the founding of Kōtō-ji in Kyoto.

She is also actively involved in social contributions. She visits facilities like juvenile detention centers and hospices to perform, and is responsible for planning and managing charity concerts for Special Olympics Japan Tokyo. She appears frequently in media; notably, her performance in NHK FM’s program "Nagasaki: Tones of Prayer" earned her the Excellence Award at the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival.

Her recordings include CDs described as having a "warm tone that encourages and envelops" and "cellos that knock on the heart." The album *Black Swan – Villa-Lobos Collection*, a collaboration with Aki Kuroda, was selected as New Music of the Month by NY Public Radio and has received international praise.

In her private life, her sister is violinist Yoko Miyagawaga, and her husband is Finnish violinist Mark Gotoni.

Educational background includes attendance at Den-en Chofu Futaba Academy from elementary through middle school, followed by studies at the Toho Gakuen School of Music’s Children’s Music Course, the Girls’ High School music department, and the diploma course. She studied abroad at music schools in Austria and Italy. Her teachers include Sōichi Katsuta, Keiko Matsunami, Heidi Rischauer, and Arturo Bonucci, among others.

With this extensive background and active career, Yuko Miyagawaga performs both domestically and internationally, engaging in a wide variety of collaborations across genres.