ABOUT

London-based Japanese cellist Tamaki Sugimoto is a recipient of various international prizes and performs extensively across the UK, Europe and Far East. Her recent highlights include Saariaho's Sept Papillons for Solo Cello at the Wigmore Hall and Laura Bowler's newly-commissioned chamber opera, The Blue Woman, at the Royal Opera House.

 

Tamaki currently holds a position as Associate Member at the Philharmonia Orchestra having previously been a fellow member of the orchestra of English National Opera. She enjoys working as a freelance cellist with the UK’s major orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Welsh National Opera as well as commercial session orchestras. She previously completed the London Symphony Orchestra’s String Experience Scheme, London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Foyle Future Firsts Programme, London Sinfonietta Academy and Glyndebourne Pit Perfect Scheme.

 

She also enjoys smaller ensemble music making with groups such as London Sinfonietta and Plus Minus Ensemble and has appeared on the stage with artists including Elaine Mitchener, Julian Jacobson, Mark van de Wiel, Michael Foyle and Mayuko Ishigami. Additional influence derive from masterclasses with Heinrich Schiff, Frans Helmerson, Philippe Muller, Leonid Gorokhov and Raphael Bell. Passionate about music education, she has also worked with leading organisations including the Wigmore Hall Learning and The Benedetti Foundation.

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Tamaki attended the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (Annie-Kiff Wood Award Scholar) before she went on to study with Melissa Phelps at the Royal College of Music London where she held a full scholarship supported by The Linbury Trust and additional awards from Help Musicians UK, Stephen Bell Charitable Trust and Wolfson Foundation.