Of marimbist NAOKO TAKADA, The Washington Post wrote, “If you have any doubt that a solo mallet instrument can sustain your attention throughout an entire concert, Takada just might make you change your mind.” 

During the 2007-2008 concert season, Ms. Takada performs Kevin Puts’ Marimba Concerto with the South Dakota Symphony, the West Shore (MI) Symphony, and the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, and gives the premiere of a new marimba concerto written for her by Brendan McMillan at UCLA.  She also gives recitals and educational residencies at the Clark Center (CA), Western Michigan University, Carson-Newman College (TN), the Japanese American Cultural Center in Los Angeles, Bowling Green State University (OH), the Jasper Arts Center (IN), Pasadena City College (CA) and the Japan Percussion Center in Tokyo.

In March 2007, Ms. Takada released her first CD, Marimba Meets the Classics, produced by Japan Victor Entertainment, Inc.  The recording led CD Baby to exclaim, ”Naoko’s gift for this instrument comes through in both her exquisite and delicate touch as well as the excitement and passion she pours into each piece.”  She has appeared as soloist with the Houston, Mobile, Fargo-Moorhead (ND) and Xalapa (Mexico) symphonies, the Boise and Louisiana philharmonics, the Vallejo and China National symphony orchestras and the Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay (CA).  She has performed at the Belgium International Marimba Festival and in a benefit for Paul Newman’s Hole in Wall Gang Camp, where she appeared onstage with such personalities as Bruce Willis, Meryl Streep, and Danny Glover.  She has also appeared at the Patagonia International Percussion Festival in Argentina, the KoSA International Percussion Festival (VT), Nancy Zeltsman’s Marimba Festival (WI) and the Yamaha Sounds of Summer Drum Camp at Central Washington University.  

Ms. Takada won First Prize in the 2002 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and the Young Concert Artists Series presented her New York debut at the 92nd Street Y, sponsored by the Peter Jay Sharp Prize, as well as debuts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.  In May 2004, Ms. Takada performed the New York premiere of YCA composer Kevin Puts’ Marimba Concerto with Leonard Slatkin conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in YCA’s annual Irene Diamond Concert. 

She was recently awarded the S & R Washington Award by the S & R Foundation, a prize that supports artists who contribute to cultural understanding between the U.S. and Japan.  Her other awards include First Prize at the 2002 Houston Symphony Ima Hogg National Young Artist Competition, First Prize at the 2001 Sorantin Young Artists International Competition in Texas, the Marimba Special Prize at the 2001 IBLA Grand Prize International Competition in Italy and First Prize in the 2000 Japan International League of Artists Competition in Tokyo. 

Ms. Takada is renowned for her wide range of repertoire, from Bach to Piazzolla. An arranger as well as a performer, Ms. Takada’s transcriptions have been published by Studio 4 Music as part of the Naoko Takada Series, which also includes works written for her by composers including Yasutaki Inamori, Paul Fowler, John Anthony Lennon and Hayato Hirose. Committed to educational outreach, Takada participates in Adventure Concerts, an educational concert series in New York City public schools, run by Midori & Friends.

Naoko Takada was born in Tokyo and began to study the marimba at the age of eight.  She first appeared as soloist with orchestra at the age of eleven, when she played with the Tokyo Symphony and Tokyo Chamber Orchestra.  In Japan, she studied with Akiko Suzuki and Keiko Abe and attended Waseda University in Tokyo, majoring in psychology.  She then decided to focus on her marimba studies and entered California State University at Northridge as a student of Karen Ervin-Pershing, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree.  She then earned a Master of Music degree from Ithaca College, working with Gordon Stout.  She has also studied at Boston Conservatory with Nancy Zeltsman.   Ms. Takada is a Yamaha performing artist.  Her signature line of mallets is available through Encore Mallets.