VIOLIN 2001 : Sixth Prize
Akiko Ono launched her successful career after winning numerous prizes in prestigious competitions such as the Yehudi Menuhin, the Szigeti, the Paganini, Viotti-Valsesia and the Forval-Scholarship Stradivarius Competitions. Since then she has performed throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central America and Japan with major orchestras including the Belgian National Orchestra, Weimar Staatskapelle, Lille National Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Polish Radio Amadeus Chamber Orchestra and Costa Rica National Symphony Orchestra with conductors such as Yehudi Menuhin, Shlomo Mintz, Saulus Sondeckis, Hans Drewanz, George Alexander Albrecht, Matthias Bamert, James Judd, Tatsuya Shimono, Taijiro Iimori, Chosei Komatsu, Joji Hattori, Gilbert Varga, Agnieszka Duczmal and Christian Arming.
Akiko made her debut with Yehudi Menuhin and the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra at the UNCEF Gala Concert in Germany in 1998. Other highlights of her career include a performance alongside Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mstislav Rostropovich at Lord Menuhin’s 80th Birthday Gala Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1996, an invitation by Vanessa Redgrave to perform at the UN Headquarters in New York to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1998, a performance at the Japan Festival 2001 at the Windsor Castle and at the Asian Gala at the Buckingham Palace in the UK.
In recent seasons Akiko Ono made appearances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Orchestra, a debut at the Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, and a tour with Midori Goto on her community engagement project in Vietnam.
In 2008 she released her first CD with a renowned composer, pianist Ichiro Nodaiira, which has been reviewed highly. Alongside her work as a soloist, Akiko sets great value on outreach activities such as for the Red Cross and UNICEF, and is one of the appointed artists of the Japan Foundation for Regional Art-Activities since 2006.
Born in Tokyo, Akiko Ono moved to the UK when she was 12 to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School and later with Dora Schwarzberg and Michael Frischenschlager at the University of Music and performing Arts in Vienna. She has performed throughout Europe, the Middle East, USA, Central America, Vietnam and Japan. Currently Akiko teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK. She plays on a violin by J.B.Guadagnini made in 1772 loaned by an anonymous supporter.