Ayako Takagi is a highly talented flutist who is currently drawing considerable attention with her impeccable technique, characteristic tone qualities and unlimited musicality.
Without being limited to the framework of a conventional classical musician, she has appeared in television and radio programs as well as television commercials, receiving attention from numerous different fields.
Ayako Takagi was born in Toyota City in Aichi prefecture, Japan. She started playing the piano at the age of three and the flute at the age of eight. She studied at The Music High School attached to The Faculty of Music,Tokyo University of the Arts, and subsequently at Tokyo University of the Arts, where she concluded an undergraduate and a master program. She studied flute under, Chie Nishimura, Kazuyoshi Hashimoto, Gerard Noack、Tetsuya Kosaka、Narumi Murakami、Chang-Kook Kim、Paul Meisen and studied chamber music under Koji Ozaki.
Her talent has been highly appreciated since her student days, winning her numerous contests and awards: 1st place, Mainichi National Music Contest for Students hosted by the Mainichi Newspaper (1995); "Encouragement Award", Kobe International Flute Contest (1997); a scholarship from NTT Docomo during her college days winning her "Antaku Award" (1997); winner, Takarazuka Vega Contest (1999); winner and "Audience Award", Japan Flute Convention Contest (1999); 1st place (flute division) and "Special Award", 17th Japan Wind Instrument Contest (2000); 1st place (flute division), 70th Japan Music Contest (2001); "Fresh Artist Award", Nippon Steel Corporation Music Award (2001); 3rd place, Jean-Pierre Rampal International Flute Contest (2005); 3rd place, the Kobe International Flute Contest (2005).
On the other hand, she started performing professionally while still in college. She has performed with principal orchestras in Japan, along with "I Solisti Filarmonici Italiani", "Stuttgarter Kammerorchester", "Ensemble Archi di Milano", "St.Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra ", "Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra". In the autumn of 2004, she made her first debut in Paris, performing with "Ensemble orchestral de Paris". Her Japanese tour following the event also marked a success, along with numerous recitals and chamber music she performed actively in various locations. In 2010, marking her 10th year anniversary, she performed in commemorative recitals in the fall.
Ayako Takagi's recording career is also active, making her first CD debut in March 2003, releasing both "Sicilian Flute Masterpiece collection", "Plays YUMING on Flute" contemporaneously. Subsequently she released "Gentle Dreams ? Flute Music of the 20th Century" and "I Need To Be In Love ~ plays Carpenters" together, followed by "Southern Thoughts", a collection of South American pieces from classics to Bossa nova; "Air Blue ? A Blue Margin", a collection of flute solos from the 17th century to contemporary music; "Italia", the first concerto album performed with the Solisti Filarmonici Italiani recorded in Italy; "Earth", a collection of masterpieces for flute with themes centering on earth, nature and breath of life; "To the Sea", a duo album with the guitarist, Shinichi Fukuda. Her Cd's have been highly appreciated as well as leaving excellent sales results. In 2010, commemorating her 10th anniversary, she released "The Best" (Columbia Japan), and "Mozart: Concertos for Flute and Orchestra" (Avex Classics), which are being very well received.
Currently she is a lecturer at the Tokyo University of the Arts and a part-time lecturer at Musashino Academia Musicae , Nihon University College of Arts.
