Yuko Hayashi

Hayashi was born in Kagawa Prefecture. She graduated from the Department of Instrumental Music, Kunitachi College of Music, and performed in the graduation concert of the same university. She received the Encouragement Award at the 5th Japan Clarinet Competition. After this, she moved to France, graduating from the Conservatoire du 13e Maurice Ravel and the Conservatoire d’Aulnay with a unanimous first prize. During that time, she won unanimous first prizes at the European Music Competition in Picardie and the Leopold Bellan International Music Competition. In 2002, Hayashi participated as a soloist in the Young Prague Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. She has studied clarinet with Takashi Ishikawa, Shigeru Ikushima, Jean-François Verdier, and Olivier Devaux. Hayashi is currently a clarinetist of Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, and serves as a part-time lecturer at Toho Gakuen University and Seitoku University.