Asako Ogawa –Harpsichord, Fortepiano, Piano and Vocal coach 

Asako Ogawa is one of today’s most versatile keyboard performers, specialising in a wide range of instruments, including the virginals, harpsichord, fortepiano, and modern piano. Originally from Japan and now based in London, she has built a distinguished career as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and continuo player, performing across the UK, Europe, and Japan.

Harpsichordist :

Asako’s recent album, Handel: The Eight Great Suites (First Hand Records, FHR142), received critical acclaim. BBC Music Magazine awarded it five stars, with critic Nicholas Anderson praising her “rhythmic suppleness and lively feeling for characterisation.” Gramophone Magazine Jed Distler described her performance as “among the best recorded versions” of these suites, while Fanfare (USA) encouraged listeners to “take a listen—you may hear qualities you never noticed before.” The album was also featured on BBC Radio 3 Breakfast and Radio France.

Her previous recording, J.S. Bach: Six Partitas (FHR92), earned four-star reviews from The Independent and BBC Music Magazine. Early Music Review described her as “a capable and sensitive player who draws us into the music.” The album was broadcast by Radio France, where it was praised for its beauty.

Asako performs regularly at leading festivals and venues, including the London Handel Festival, Handel House Museum, and the Halle Handel Festival in Germany. She has also appeared in Handel’s Alcina and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with Opera North, Messiah with English National Opera (broadcast on BBC2), the Brighton Early Music Festival, BBC Radio 3, the British Harpsichord Society recital series, and the Georgian Concert Society in Edinburgh.

Education & Teaching :

Asako completed her postgraduate studies and Fellowship at the Historical Performance Department of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where she later taught as a Baroque repertoire coach (2009–2022). She was awarded the Accompanist’s Prize at the London Handel Singing Competition and was a finalist in the Broadwood Harpsichord Ensemble Competition. Her harpsichord studies were with Nicholas Parle, James Johnstone, and Laurence Cummings, with additional training from Bob van Asperen and Colin Tilney. She also studied fortepiano with Steven Devine and has collaborated with numerous Baroque ensembles. She is currently a member of Linnet Baroque. Recently she founded a baroque ensemble Il Capo with Oliver Webber baroque violin, Nikolay Ginov baroque cello and Kristiina Watt theorbo. 

Collaborative pianist :

As a pianist, Asako specialises in vocal accompaniment and chamber music. She earned her Master’s degree and Postgraduate Diploma in piano performance from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Trinity College of Music. During her studies, she participated in vocal projects led by Graham Johnson, Iain Burnside, Eugene Asti, and Robin Bowman. She studied collaborative piano with John York, Iain Burnside, and Robin Bowman, and solo piano with Rona O’Hora, John Bingham, and Nina Sereda.

Asako has won numerous accompanist prizes, including the MBF Sir Henry Richardson Accompanists’ Award. She founded the Freude Piano Trio, which was invited to the BANFF Summer Chamber Music Course and IMS Prussia Cove. The trio achieved fourth place at the International Brahms Competition in Austria. She has also served as an official accompanist for the Newark International Brass Festival and Competition.

Collaborations & Vocal Coaching :

Asako has collaborated with many renowned singers, including Helen Charlston, Hilary Cronin, Nazan Fikret, Héloïse Mas, Jorge Navarro Colorado, and Josep Ramon Olivé. She has also performed with acclaimed instrumentalists such as violist Maxim Rysanov and violinist Ivo Stankov.

As a vocal coach, she has worked extensively with singers on Baroque and Classical repertoire, coaching artists such as Jorge Navarro Colorado, Nazan Fikret, Emily Owen, and Rosie Lomas. She has regularly accompanied masterclasses and classes led by Emma Kirkby, Mhairi Lawson, Penelope MacKay, and Yvonne Kenny.

Early Training :

Before moving to the UK, Asako earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music and Art from Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, where she studied piano and singing. She began playing piano at the age of five, winning multiple national competitions. Her early piano teachers in Japan included Masaru Yajima, Kiyoko Yajima, Chitoshi Kurokawa, Shuichiro Endo, and Ryoko Machimo.