Shoko Kawasaki was born in Tokyo, Japan. She graduated at the Tokyo National University of Arts (Geidai) and received the prestigious Leonid Kreutzer Prize as a top honor in her master’s degree at graduate school. In 2014 she then obtained her doctoral degree there. Her dissertation is based on the piano etudes of G. Ligeti. It is the first analysis of this important work from the point of view of an active pianist. In 2016 she completed her master’s degree in modern music and postgraduate program “Meisterklasse” at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. She studied under many famous teachers such as Prof. Michael SCHÄFER. Shoko obtained further important artistic impulses from Prof. Jacques ROUVIER, Prof. Andreas GROETHUYSEN, Prof. Gabriel TACCHINO, Prof. Remo REMOLI, Prof. Mihail VOSKRESENSKY, Prof. Vladimir TROPP, Prof. Einar Steen-NØKLEBERG,Prof. Susumu AOYAGI and Prof. Michiko OHNO (KASUYA). She was a scholar of the Rohm Music Foundation, Honjo International Scholarship Foundation, Oscar und Vera Ritter Stiftung and Deutschland Stipendium.
2013, She received the Grazia Music Prize, which was made to honor and support young excellent artists. Shoko was the first person who received this prestigious prize. She won 1st prize at the “Amici della Musica di Cagliari” the 20th International Piano Competition “Ennio Porrino” (a member of AAF), 2nd prize at the 3rd Massarosa International Piano Competition (a member of AAF), and was awarded a special prize at “Wettbewerb um den Kulturkreis Gasteig Musikpreis”. She was awarded the diploma prize in international competitions, like the Geneva International Competition and Grieg International Competition. She took part in the New York International keyboard Music Festival, and she was the semi finalist at the Dorothy Mackenzie Awards in America. In Japan, she won a prize at the 76th Music Competition of Japan, won 1st prize and further special prizes at the 5th Kazuko YASUKAWA Memorial International Piano Competition (a member of AAF), in addition, Shoko has won first prizes in four important competitions in Japan, including one where she participated as a composer.
She has performed many solo-recitals, concerts with orchestra as soloist and chamber music concerts, as well as multiple music festivals and concerts in Asia, America and across Europe. Her performances were often broadcasted by various radio and TV channels in Japan, Germany, Italy and other countries. She also participated in Cuba at the Contemporary Music festival. In Germany she has performed on ARD Bayern radio broadcasts. Many of her recitals in Germany have received popular reviews from many German newspapers such as Muenchener Merkur, WAZ. In 2016 Her CD (Memory of Kreutzer) with Studio N.A.T was released in Japan. It was selected by The Record Geijutsu special selection board for an award, and received praise from many other newspapers and music magazines. She was selected by G.Henle Verlag to be the promotion manager for the Henle App.
From 2006 to 2011 she served as a teaching assistant at the Tokyo National University of Arts (Geidai). Currently, residing in Germany, she serves as a piano lecturer at The University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. She holds performances not only In Japan, but also across Europe.