Sawako Yamada-Blankenship
Born in Mie, Japan.
Sawako studied piano at the College of Education in Osaka with Hiroko Fukami.
She continued her studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with Jörg Demus (piano) and Norman Shetler (Lied accompaniment).
In 1993 Special Prize for Accompaniment and for Duo with Asako Motojima at the International Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau.
1994 Special Prize for Lied Accompaniment at the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Hamburg.
Since 1994 Sawako Yamada coaches at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. She has accompanied master classes by Francisco Araiza, Kurt Equiluz, Sona Ghazarian and Julia Hamari.
Sawako Yamada has given many concerts as a soloist and Lied accompanist in Europe and Japan. She was also a participant at the Schubertiade in Feldkirch.
Sawako Yamada is married to tenor William Blankenship.