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 enjoys working as a freelance cellist with the UK’s major orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and she currently holds a position at the English National Opera as an orchestra fellow. She previously completed the London Symphony Orchestra’s String Experience Scheme, London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Foyle Future Firsts Programme, London Sinfonietta Academy and Glyndebourne Festival’s Pit Perfect Scheme.

 

She is a member of the Kofiko Ensemble as well as Ensemble Matters and has appeared on the stage with artists including Elaine Mitchener, Julian Jacobson, Mark van de Wiel, Michael Foyle and Mayuko Ishigami for chamber music making. Additional influence derive from masterclasses with Heinrich Schiff, Frans Helmerson, Philippe Muller, Philippe Graffin 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. She graduated from the institution in summer 2021 gaining a Masters with Distinction and an Artist Diploma.