Takako Williams

Born in Osaka, Japan, Takako began piano lessons at the early age of four. She enthusiastically played throughout her childhood, traveling to Australia and later Russia where she performed "Chopin Piano Nocturne". After high school, she entered Osaka College of Music majoring in Piano studying with Yoshiko Baba. Two years later she seized the opportunity to study piano in the United States first at Seattle University and later the University of Idaho and then Utah State University, advancing her piano skills under the supervision of Jay Macley and Ralph Van de Beek. Accepted into the coveted Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary, Takako instead elected to study with Thomas La Ratta at the University of Notre Dame de Namur where she completed her BA in music with an emphasis on piano performance. During her university years Takako performed many recitals and concerts throughout the entire Bay Area. Winning first prize in the Notre Dame Piano Concerto Competition she performed the "Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor" with Redwood Symphony Orchestra as a soloist. After receiving her BA, Takako attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to study piano with Paul Harsh. Takako has taught piano privately for 26 years taking many students from their first notes to an advanced level, while raising a growing family she continues to work on accompanist for schools, churches, and pianist for parties, weddings and theatre productions throughout the Bay Area.