Keiko Abe
Biography
Keiko Abe is known for an international marimba player and a great composer in modern marimba world. She has performed in more than 60 countries with prominent orchestras, percussion groups and Jazz artists beyond genres. She attains the world-wide reputation as one of the greatest musicians in the music history. She teaches young marimba players in over a hundred music schools in Japan, Asia, U.S.A. and Europe.
It has been 40 years since Yamaha and a legend marimba player, Keiko Abe started collaborating to develop instruments. Till today, Yamaha and Keiko Abe have been firmly united under the passion to develop the marimba to maximize virtuosities of soloists. This collaboration led the development of the first 5 octave marimba in the world and it has established the foundations of modern marimba world. Then, the YM-6100 was developed as a culmination of the 40-year collaboration between Yamaha and Keiko Abe.
Other Percussion Artists
Nebojsa Zivkovic
Nebojsa Zivkovic is recognized as one of the world's top marimba and percussion soloists and as one of the most unique and expressive artists in the field today. He tours Europe extensively, performs in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Russia, Latin America, Mexico, and annually in the USA. As a soloist, Zivkovic has performed with many orchestras around the globe: Stuttgart Philharmonic, Munich Symphonic, Bochum Philharmonic, Austrian Chamber Symphony, Hannover Radio Symphony, National Orchestra of Costa Rica, Minnesota Orchestra and many others.