Akiko Gaffney

Akiko Gaffney studied piano under Akira Sato and Reiko Kikuchi while attending the Tokyo School of Music. She received a Bachelor of Music degree and Artist Diploma from the Tokyo College of Music. She continued her musical education during graduate school at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she earned a Performance Diploma and studied piano solo with Michel Block (awarded the Rubinstein Award in Warsaw at the VI International Chopin Piano Competition in 1960) and chamber music with Rostislav Dubinsky (first violinist of the Borodin Quartet). Akiko performed solo piano and collaboration with string instruments and chamber music in both Japan and Russia and during her time living in Georgia, Kansas, and currently in Folsom, California. While living in Vladivostok, Russia, in 1994-95, she also worked as a string accompanist at the Far Eastern Institute of Arts. More recently Akiko performed with cellist Jia-Mo Chen at the annual Sonora Bach Festival in 2018 and with Dr. Christine Choi and Jia-Mo Chen at the Westminster Presbyterian Church noon concert series in Sacramento and at the Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom. Akiko is currently President of the Sacramento District of California association of Professional Music Teachers and MTAC Sierra Branch.She is an adjudicator for competitions and Festivals in Sacramento and Bay Area. She conducts private lessons at her home studio and Pacific Institute of Music in Folsom. Akiko’s students have received numerous top prizes at such competitions as Seattle International Piano Competition, Anselmo International Music competition in NY, 23rd International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia Finalist, MTNA Junior State Competition, Steinway Junior Piano Competition, MTAC Sacramento Memorial Scholarship Audition for Piano Trio, Go for the Gold Competition, Crescendo International Music Competition, Tell School of Music Keyboard Division International Piano Competition, Sacramento Youth Symphony Premier Orchestra Soloist, and PYPA Piano Festival.