Mioko Yokoyama (1989-) is a Japanese-Finnish composer based in Helsinki.
Her music is built on clear rhythms and a refined control of tone colors, which together create imaginative atmospheres, events, and situations. The sense of fun and playfulness is a central element of her music, because she believes that contemporary music is not difficult, but rather free.
Born in Sapporo, Japan. She started the piano at the age of four. She obtained her composition Bachelor's degree in 2011 and Master's degree in 2014 from the Tokyo University of the Arts under the guidance of Eisuke Tsuchida, Kenjiro Urata, and Manabu Kawai. The university awarded her the Ataka Award.
With a three-year scholarship from YAMAHA Music Foundation, she moved to Finland in 2015. In 2019, she received her second Master's degree in composition from Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki under the guidance of Veli-Matti Puumala. She received the Martin Wegelius Memorial Foundation Award.
From the year 2018, she has been a member of the Society of Finnish Composers and a part-time teacher in score-playing and orchestration at the Sibelius Academy.
She attended masterclasses with Magnus Lindberg, Chaya Czernowin, Miroslav Srnka, Maja S.K. Ratkje, Annette Schlünz, Mauricio Sotelo, cellist Anssi Karttunen, and musician John Paul Jones.
Her chamber music piece Mineralization is one of the nominees for the 2025 Teosto Prize. In 2023, Talking Metals, Talking Drums represented Finland at the 69th International Rostrum of Composers and was selected to the recommendation list. In 2017 and 2022, she was selected for projects by the ULYSSES Network.
A profile album featuring her chamber music will be released by Uusinta Ensemble in the future.
Her works have been supported by Finnish Cultural Foundation, Pro-Musica Foundation, Teosto (Commissioning grant), The Society of Finnish Composers (Sibelius Foundation and Madetoja Foundation), The Finnish Music Foundation, Sibelius-Academy support foundation, Nomura Foundation, and Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation.
Her music has been commissioned
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by venues such as Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (JP), Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ (NL)
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by festivals such as Time of Music, Musica nova Helsinki, Tampere Biennale, Avanti! Summer Sounds (FI), Gaudeamus Muziekweek (NL), Warsaw Autumn (PL), IMPULS Festival für neue Musik in Sachsen-Anhalt (DE)
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by ensembles and musicians such as L’Instant Donné (FR), Duo Signal (CH), Uusinta Ensemble, Saxtronauts, Superpluck, Tristero Piano Trio (FI), Aliisa Neige Barrière, Manca Dornik, Marianne Finseth, Kalle Hakosalo, Haruhi Hata, Sota Igaki, Petri Kumela, Lore Amenabar Larrañaga, Tuuli Lindeberg, Livia Schweizer, and Janne Valkeajoki.
Her pieces have been programmed in Festival ManiFeste (FR), Saariaho Festival (NL), Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Nordlyd Festival (NO), Baltic Sea Festival (SE), Uuden Musiikin Lokakuu, Turku Music Festival, and Kumaus festival (FI). She has worked with Asko|Schönberg (NL), Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Améi Quartett (DE), and Geidai Philharmonia (JP).