Yukari Yagi is a Japanese percussionist based in Cologne, Germany.
Her artistic interests focus on contemporary music ensembles, orchestral performance, collaborations with young composers, and the exploration of the marimba repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music.
She has collaborated with numerous orchestras and contemporary music ensembles in Germany, including WDR Sinfonieorchester, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, hr-Sinfonieorchester, Beethoven Orchester Bonn, E-MEX Ensemble, oh ton-Ensemble, KlangForum Heidelberg, Ensemble Ruhr and Ensemble New Babylon. She has also appeared regularly as a guest percussionist with the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra in Finland, where she has been engaged on a short-term contract.
As a soloist and chamber musician, she has received prizes at several international competitions, including First Prize at the Italy Percussion Competition (Marimba) and the Gold Medal at the Paris Music Competition. She has appeared at festivals including Acht Brücken, Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik, MUSIKFEST BERLIN, Essen NOW!, Moers Festival, Perkumania and Pescara Percussion Fest.
She has also participated in international academies and workshops such as the Stockhausen-Kurse Kürten (as a scholarship recipient of the Kunststiftung NRW), Donaueschinger Musiktage, Grafenegg Academy, Kammermusikfest Lockenhaus, Mixtur and Percussion Orchestra Cologne.
Born into a family of musicians, she began studying music through early childhood education and piano at the age of three. She discovered percussion at the age of ten and developed a particular passion for the marimba during her teenage years. In 2025, she completed the prestigious Konzertexamen in Percussion at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln with distinction (mit Auszeichnung bestanden).
After completing her Bachelor’s degree at Kunitachi College of Music (Japan), she continued her studies in France at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Rueil-Malmaison and the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris, focusing on contemporary percussion and marimba. She subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Marimba Performance with distinction from the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (Switzerland), followed by two Master’s degrees in Percussion and New Music at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln (Germany).
She studied percussion and marimba with Shiori Tanaka, Masanori Izumi, Shoko Araya, Kazunori Meguro, Eve Payeur, Eric Sammut, Raphael Christen, Klaus Schwärzler, Carlos Tarcha, Peter Hänsch, Lukas Böhm and Dirk Rothbrust. She also studied zarb with Pierre Rigopoulos and conducting with Marc Kissóczy. These experiences have developed her as a player who always has multiple perspectives and senses.
Yukari Yagi is supported by Marimba One™. She is currently a member of ÉRMA ENSEMBLE.
八木友花里
愛知県名古屋市出身。現在ドイツ・ケルンを拠点に、現代音楽やパフォーマンス作品を主たる演奏領域として活動を行っている。愛知県立昭和高等学校、国立音楽大学打楽器専攻卒業。その後渡欧し、フランスのリュエイユ＝マルメゾン地方音楽院打楽器科、パリ地方音楽院マリンバ科、スイスのチューリッヒ芸術大学マリンバ科修士課程をそれぞれ首席で修了。その後ドイツに渡り、ケルン音楽舞踊大学打楽器科・現代音楽科修士課程、同大学国家演奏家資格課程をそれぞれ最優秀（mit Auszeichnung）の成績で修了。
イタリア国際打楽器コンクールマリンバC（最年長）部門第１位、Paris Music Competition 打楽器部門金賞など、数々の国際コンクールにて優秀な成績を収める。ソリスト・室内楽奏者として、PerKumania（パリ）、Pescara Percussion Fest（ペスカーラ）、Festival NOW!（エッセン）、Soundbridge Festival（マレーシア）、ACHT BRÜCKEN（ケルン）、Moers Festival（メールス）、Monheim Triennale（モンハイム）などの音楽祭に参加。ヘルムート・ラッヘンマン、シモン＝スタン・アナーセン、エンノ・ポッペなどの、ヨーロッパの主要な現代作曲家達と共演している。
また、Ensemble Musikfabrik、E-MEX Ensemble、oh ton-Ensemble、KlangForum Heidelberg、Ensemble Ruhr、Ensemble New Babylonなどの現代音楽アンサンブルや、WDR交響楽団、クオピオ交響楽団、フランクフルト放送交響楽団などのオーケストラとも共演を重ねる。
Marimba Oneディスカバリーアーティスト。ケルンを拠点とする現代音楽アンサンブル、ÉRMA ENSEMBLEメンバー。現代音楽の作曲について考えるウェブメディア「スタイル＆アイデア：作曲考」の運営も行っている。