Akiko Pavolka
Akiko Pavolka è nata a Tokio, Giappone, ed è cresciuta a Yokohama. Vive a New York dal 1995, anno della
sua laurea al Berklee College of Music di Boston. Proprio in quegli anni ha fondato la sua band, House of
Illusion (con Matt Renzi, Loren Stillman, Nate Radley, Matt Pavolka, Bill Campbell ed il compositore
argentino Guillermo Klein).
Molto attiva nella scena di New York, Akiko è anche un'artista internazionale ed ha calcato importanti
palchi in tutto il mondo.
Akiko è attualmente impegnata anche come educatrice musicale in diverse scuole di New York, è molto
richiesta come insegnante privata ed ha portato i suoi seminari in contesti internazionali in tutto il mondo.
Biography in English
Akiko Pavolka is a Brooklyn-based musician, composer and educator who’s strikingly original music blends
pop and jazz with the music and sensibilities of her native Japan. Akiko was born in Tokyo and grew up in
Yokohama. Her newest recording, her fifth as a leader, is “Mahoroba” for the Fresh Sound New Talent
label. It features her band House Of Illusion (Loren Stillman, Nate Radley, Matt Pavolka and Bill Campbell)
and her long-time friend Argentinian composer Guillermo Klein performing a set of her brand-new
compositions with Japanese lyrics. Pavolka moved to New York in 1995 after graduating Berklee College of
Music in Boston and formed House Of Illusion shortly thereafter. She has been performing regularly ever
since at venues such as Joe’s Pub, Cornelia Street Café, The 55 Bar, Shapeshifter Lab and Barbes. She has
also toured in the United States, South America, Europe and Japan. Most recently she headlined at the
Buenos Aires Jazz Festival in Argentina and also at Guimaraes Jazz Fetival in Portugal.
She is also active as a music educator. For the past several years she has taught young children in New
York’s South Bronx & Brooklyn neighborhood as part of a program to bring professional artists into public
schools and in addition she has a full roaster of private students. Also she has taught master classes at
AMR in Geneva (Switzerland) and Universidade Lusiada in Lisbon (Portugal) for music major college
students.
"With Mahoroba, Japanese-born and New York-based singer/pianist Akiko Pavolka has conjured up a
culture-stitching sound. With her understated vocals, she wraps her timbre around distinctive melodies off
to the side of pop and jazz structures and harmonies. Her Japanese Lyrics... convey strong emotive
moods" – Downbeat
Official Website: www.akikopavolka.com
