profile

Ms.Asako Tamura, a light lyric soprano, has impressed and delighted audiences with an extraordinary blend of vocal brilliance, powerful stage presence, and innate musicality

Born in Kyoto, Japan, Ms Tamura began studying piano at age four with aspirations of becoming an international concert pianist. She graduated from Kunitachi College of Music with a Bachelor of Arts in Voice and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music where she earned a Master of Arts in Opera. A scholarship from Rotary International Foundation allowed her to continue her work at Mannes College of Music in New York City, where she was awarded the prize of “Best Opera Performer”. With full scholarships, she participated in the International Summer Academy in Mozarteum Hochshule Salzburg, Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo Japan, Aspen Music School in Colorado, and the Ravinia Festival in Chicago.

Ms. Tamura has won many awards and prizes at renown National and International Competitions: the Best soloist award at the All Japan Contest; the Special Award at International Singing Competition in Hungary; New York district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council; Winner at the Connecticut Opera Guild Competition; Third Prize and Audience Award at Marmomande International Competition in France and Winner at the Giuseppe di Stefano International Competition in Trapani Italy; Finalist at Placido Domingo's Operalia Competition in Japan; Representative of Japan at the Cardiff Singerof The World in Wales.

Ms Tamura began her early operatic career with important engagements in Japan and New York City. She sang Despina in Cosi fan tutte at Pacific Music Festival in 1996; Violetta in La Traviata at the Hacioji City Opera as well as at the 25th Anniversary Memorial Opera Gala Concert to celebrate Sino-Japanese relations with the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra in 1997; Musetta in La Bohème with Amato Opera in 1998; Zerlina in DonGiovanni in 1999 and the title role in Manon at Mannes College of Music Opera Production in New York in 2000; and Licenza in Il Sogno di Scipione with the Henry Street Chamber Opera in 2001.

Since 2002, Ms Tamura has embarked on an international career, taking part as a soloist in the famous Three Tenors Concert with Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras, which was held at the Arena of Yokohama in Japan during the World Cup Championship. She also performed in the open air Summer Opera Gala Festival at the Foro Romano in Rome, Italy, with the Orchestra of the Summer Festival Roma, and made a debut in the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor at the National Opera in Constanz, Romania.In 2003, she sang Ancella Strascica in Elektra at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona, Italy. She participated in many productions of Lucia di Lammermoor, including a production at the Ente Luglio Musicale Trapanese in Italy and at the Hungary State Opera of Budapest, when she performed with tenor Ramon Vargas, earning her overwhelming critical acclaim. In 2004, Ms.Tamura shared this demanding title role with Mariella Devia, opposite the tenor Giuseppe Sabattini in Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in Sardegna, Italy. Furthermore, she was invited by the Hungary State Opera to tour in Japan as Gilda in Rigoletto.

Ms Tamura’s extensive performance credits include appearances as Juliet in Romeo et Juliet with the Hungary State Opera; as Amalia in I Masnadieri at Sarasota Opera; and Violetta in La Traviata at El Paso Opera
She has also made numerous appearances with various orchestras around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Summer Festival in Roma, L.A. Asian American Philharmonic Orchestra, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Hamamatsu City Bach Orchestra, and Tokyo City Orchestra.