Akiko Konishi received her early musical training in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, and completed her undergraduate studies at Rice University as a double major in music and English. She continued her graduate studies at Yale University and the University of Houston, under the guidance of renowned pianists Peter Frankl and Abbey Simon. She performs extensively in guest artist venues across the United States, and recent notable engagements include a recital at Oberlin College as well as repeat concerto appearances with the Chicago Federation of Musicians Orchestra.

 Additional honors include finalist prizes in the Ima Hogg Houston Symphony Concerto Competition and the F. Awerbuch International Piano Competition (New York), as well as grand prizes in the Entergy Young Texas Artists Competition and the Rio Hondo Symphony Concerto Competition (Los Angeles). She received the Jury Discretionary Award at the Texas Steinway Society’s Career Development Award Competition, which resulted in performances at both Steinway Halls in Fort Worth and New York City. As an active chamber musician, she has performed with members of the Houston Symphony in the Channing Chamber Series, and her performances have been broadcast on Houston Public Radio’s “The Front Row,” and Italian National TV (RAI).

Akiko is Assistant Professor of Music at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. In addition to teaching and coordinating the piano program, she presented a rock history course this year as a recipient of the Lenfest Grant, with unbridled enthusiasm for the hair metal genre.