Ayaka Tanimoto

Originally from Japan, Ayaka relocated to London and subsequently graduated from Royal College of Music with a Bachelor of Music (BMus Hons) and a Masters in Vocal Performance (MPerf). Studies under Margaret Cable and Patricia Rozario OBE were supported by scholarships from Japan.

Ayaka also graduated as a Scholar from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Alexander Gibson Opera School.Ayaka has won numerous awards in Japan and UK, including the crowning achievement of 1st prize at the 3rd International Ernest Bloch Competition in London, UK. To date, Ayaka has taken to the stage as a recitalist in a number of highly regarded venues throughout UK such as the Purcell Room, National Gallery, King’s Place, St. Martin in the Fields, St. James’ Piccadilly, Portsmouth Cathedral, and Bristol Cathedral to name but a few.Ayaka has sung with opera companies such as English National Opera, Longborough Opera Festival, British Youth Opera, Opéra de Baugé France, Kent Opera, Bury Court Opera, Opera Holland Park, and Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra on Tour.

To date, Ayaka has taken to the opera stage singing 2nd boy and 2nd Lady in Mozart's Magic Flute (Longborough Festival Opera & LFO Tour), Iolanthe in G&S's Iolanthe (Brent Opera), covering Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte (Opera de Baugé), Poppet in Benjamin Britten's Paul Bunyan (British Youth Opera), Flora Bervoix in Verdi's La Traviata (Opera Lyrica & Kent Opera), Suzuki in Puccini's Madama Butterfly (Bury Court Opera and Grimeborn Festival), and Žena and Chorus in Janáček’s Kát’a Kabanová (Opera Holland Park).

In addition to the above classic roles, Ayaka demonstrates her versatility as a keen performer of crossover genres and contemporary music. As a result, she was selected as the voice that would introduce UK audiences to the premier works of Japanese composers such as Ko Matsushita. She has toured with and sung compositions by maestro Jose Maria Gallardo del Rey for Spanish and Japanese Embassies in London which led to a release of their first album with song cycles composed for her voice.

Furthermore, her chorus experience lies with renowned conductors such as Bernard Haitink (Bruckner's Te Deum), Michael Rosewell (RCM BBIOS Opera Production of Bartered Bride and Cosi fan Tutte), Martin André (Beethoven's Symphony 9th and Britten's War Requiem), and Leif Segerstam (Brahms' Requiem).She currently lives in Kyoto, singing and launching projects as a Director of British Music Association Japan.