Biographical Info

Yoriko Wakabayashi

Yoriko graduated from Toho Gakuen High School of Music in Tokyo in 1987 and then continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, graduating with the Academy’s highest performance award in 1992. Based now in London, she has given concerts both here in the U.K. and abroad, as soloist and chamber musician.

Yoriko regards her teaching as one of her core achievements and her encouragement and nurturing of young musicians have been at the heart of her work. For many years she was the Director of YPM: Young People in Music, an organisation which hosted educational music events for children. These lecture-recitals and music courses gave young people invaluable opportunities to learn about many broad aspects of music and performance. Choir events and other recital platform opportunities became environments where students were able to meet and be inspired by each other’s individual creativity.

Having appeared at many venues and festivals in her career, such experiences have inspired her to produce her own concert series; recently Yoriko and her husband Graham started a new project ‘Music@107’, promoting musical events of all genres in the most intimate and relaxed of settings, that of their own home. Their aim is to create and develop a space where people who love music can gather, play, listen and socialise regardless of their roles or professional experience.