Ayano Kataoka

Ayano Kataoka leads her career as marimbist and percussionist who has a brilliant command of both dynamic and elegancy on her technique, artistry, and musicianship. Known for her artistic versatility, she regularly performs music of diverse genres and mediums. Last season, together with cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the American Museum of Natural History, Ms. Kataoka gave a world premiere of Bruce Adolphe’s Self Comes to Mind for cello and two percussionists, based on a specially written text by neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, and featuring interactive video images of brain scans triggered by the live music performance. She also performed Leon Kirchner’s flutings for Paula for flute and percussion with Paula Robison for Mr. Kirchner’s 90th birthday concert at Miller Theater in NYC and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Recent season’s highlights include a theatrical performance of Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale at the 92nd Street Y that included violinist Jaime Laredo and actors Alan Alda and Noah Wyle, performances of Bartok’s Sonata for Two Pianos and percussion at The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with pianists Emanuel Ax and Yoko Nozaki, and a performance for the Sonidos Latinos concert series at Caramoor Music Festival with Cuban-born clarinet and saxophone master Paquito D’Rivera, and Venezuelan flutist Marco Granados. This summer, she presented a solo recital as a part of their prestigious B to C (Bach to Contemporary) recital series at Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall, whose performance was broadcasted on NHK, national public broadcast in Japan.

Ms. Kataoka received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts Music, her Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory, and her Artist Diploma degree from the Yale School of Music, where she studied with Robert van Sice, the world-renowned marimba virtuoso. She is the first percussionist to be chosen for The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society Two, a three-season residency program for young emerging artists offering high-profile performance opportunities in collaboration with The Chamber Music Society. She joined the faculty of University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2008.