Akiko Pavolka is a New York-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, Japan. By her teen years she was performing as a singer, bassist and drummer with rock and roll bands. Her interests turned to jazz and after several years of moonlighting as a vocalist in Tokyo while working by day in the corporate world, she decided to move to the United States to further her studies at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. She graduated in 1994 with a degree in Performance and was also awarded the Cleo Laine Outstanding Vocalist Award. She moved to New York in 1995 and formed her band House Of Illusion shortly thereafter. They have been performing regularly in New York ever since at venues such as Joe’s Pub, The Cornelia Street Café and The Knitting Factory. They have also toured in the United States, Europe and Japan.

Akiko’s new recording “Trust Aqua” is her fourth as a leader and her first as an Inner Circle Music Artist. In addition to her own recordings “House Of Illusion” and “Bridge” (both available from Blue Music Group), “Begin Again” (Tone Of A Pitch Records) and “Trust Aqua” she can be heard on Japanese Koto Virtuoso Mizuyo Komiya’s new release “Zumik Music” (Zumik Music), Alan Ferber’s recent release “Exit Row” (Fresh Sounds, New Talent) and husband Matt Pavolka’s release “Something People Can Use” (Tone Of A Pitch Records). Recently she has completed two tours of Portugal and Spain to promote her previous release “Begin Again”, performing at venues including La Quinta Splendida Jazz Festival in Madeira, The Hot Club, Bicaense Café and the Centro Cultural de Belem in Lisbon, Auditorio Gulbenkian in Braga, Jamboree in Barcelona and Nova Jazz Cava in Terrassa.

Akiko is also active as a music educator. For the past several years she has taught piano to young children in New York’s South Bronx neighborhood as part of a program to bring professional artists into public schools. She also runs an after-school piano program in Brooklyn through the Piano School of New York City. In addition she has a full roster of private students and also has given vocal clinics in the States and Europe.