Ichiko Aoba

To listen to Ichiko Aoba is to be drawn into a world as intimate as a warmly lit home but cosmic in scale. The Japanese singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist has successfully brought a dedicated online fanbase to international tours spanning more than 20 countries.

She deftly melds the jazz-infused-folk of her early albums, written for nylon-strung classical guitar and voice, with the orchestral world-building of her 2020 opus Windswept Adan, a piece of chamber music, and a contemporary orchestral work. Heavily influenced by jazz, by folk and by impressionistic classical music, it was a soundtrack to an imaginary film; an album that tells a story; a piece of fantasy science fiction set to music; a sonic voyage through the East China Sea.   

Raised in Kyoto, Japan, Ichiko Aoba learnt to play classical guitar aged 17. She found inspiration from Disney and Studio Ghilbi soundtracks and was mentored by Japanese singer songwriter Anmi Yamada.

She has also worked on several stage productions: 9 Days Queen by Go Aoki, a production of Cocoon written and directed by Takahiro Fujita, and a revival of Lemming by Shuji Terayama.