Born in Wakayama, Japan, the pianist studied in the US and the Netherlands and is residing in Amsterdam.

She gave her first performance in 1990, and has been invited to perform in many places around the world with well-known symphony orchestras, including London, Rotterdam, Lisbon, Tokyo, Osaka, Toronto, Deutschland Radio Berlin and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra.

In 1991 Mukaiyama Tomoko won first prize at the International Gaudeamus Competition and two years later, she won the Muramatsu prize in Japan. She has influenced many pianists and a number of composers have written works for her.

Her interest in experimentation has led to collaborations with various people in the arts, such as the architects “digital PBX”, theater director Jan Ritsema, filmmakers Frank Scheffer and Ian Kerkhof, fashion designer Niels Klavers (Paris Collection spring/summer 2000), and dancer Kim Itoh. Her most recent project is “For You,” a piano recital series for the public, which is an experiment in intimate communication between the artist and audience through music.