Motoko Mabuchi, soprano

Motoko Mabuchi first studied piano and completed a master's degree in musicology (on Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto op.54) at Tokyo University of the Arts. She began singing at the university, and then studied with a Bulgarian singer Milkana Nikolova from 2003 to 2006 in Vienna. After returning to Japan, she has performed mainly in ensembles, such works as Schumann's "Frauenliebe- und leben" Op. 42, "Spanish Lieder" Op. 74, and also Italian baroque duets of Monteverdi, Carissimi, and Händel. She has taken lessons at various master classes, such as by Claudio Cavina, Gundula Janowitz, Frode Olsen, Elisabeth Norberg-Schulz, Chinatsu Kijima, Teruhiko Komori, and Naoki Ueo.

In 2020, she started a song recital series focusing on German lieder. She sings mainly Schubert, Schumann, and Wolf,  not only with a modern piano but also with a historical piano. In 2022, she performed unknown Japanese and English songs by Cembalist Genzo Takehisa, which were well received. In recent years, she has expanded her repertoire to include Grieg's Norwegian songs, and has gained acclaim for her clear, lyrical voice. She is a member of the Grieg Society of Japan (GSJ).