Reiko Ichise
- viola da gamba
Reiko was born in Tokyo and began her musical training as a pianist. She read musicology at the Kunitachi College of Music where she started playing the viola da gamba, having lessons with Yukimi Kanbe and Tetsuya Nakano.
In 1991 she came to Britain, winning the foundation scholarship at the Royal College of Music, to study gamba with Richard Boothby. Whilst there, she won the concerto prize and completed her post graduate study with distinction. Since leaving the RCM, she has established herself as one of the leading gamba players in the UK.
Reiko has performed extensively througout the UK as chamber musician and soloist, appearing in venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall and the Royal Opera House. She has worked with many leading conductors and orchestras including Sir John Elliot Gardiner and the English baroque soloists, Sir David Willcocks and the English Chamber Orchestra, Paul MaCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort and Kurt Masur and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Reiko regularly works with early music ensembles such as Concordia, Passacaglia, Charvari Agreable and the Early Opera Company. She has recorded chamber music for Lynn, Metronome, ASV and deux-elles. Since 2001, she has been a core member of Florilegium.