An award-winning pianist, Dr. Satoko Hayami (she/her) performs and teaches solo, duo, and chamber music worldwide, most notably in Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada, and throughout the United States. Her adventurous programming and virtuosic playing brought her to prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C.; Millers Outdoor Theater in Houston, TX; Harris Hall in Aspen, CO; Overture Center for the Performing Arts and Memorial Union Shannon Hall in Madison, WI. A passionate performer of new music, Satoko co-founded Sound Out Loud Ensemble, a contemporary chamber ensemble, which received national acclaim in 2018, winning first prize in Chamber Music Performance of The American Prize.
A versatile artist and acclaimed collaborative pianist, she is in constant demand for collaborations with today's leading musicians including Grammy winners and artists from prominent ensembles such as the San Francisco Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Lyric Orchestra, Decoda Ensemble of Carnegie Hall, and Madison Symphony Orchestra. Based in Madison, WI, Satoko frequently performs with the world-class faculty members of the Mead Witter School of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
An advocate of community engagement practices in the arts, Satoko has collaborated with diverse local organizations such as Goodman Community Center and Madison Japanese Language School, co-creating unique and nurturing creative programs with and for community members.
Besides continually performing in numerous recitals, Satoko's most recent positions included a lecturer in collaborative piano at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a piano instructor at Beloit College. She also performs as a pianist for numerous prominent festivals such as LunART Festival, Madison New Music Festival, Caroga Lake Music Festival, among others.