Yuriko Gandolfo

Appointed Fall 2023

Yuriko Gandolfo is a native of Fukuoka, Japan, and has been studying koto from Sensei Kyoko Okamoto, former UMD Koto director, since the fall of 1988. Yuriko grew up playing Western instruments such as piano, clarinet and flute but did not have easy access to learn traditional Japanese music in her neighborhood. It’s ironic that she finally had the opportunity to learn koto in the United States many thousand miles away from home.

Yuriko’s professional background is in investment banking – a far cry from traditional Japanese music. She received her teacher's certificate in koto in 2023, and she loves to share her love of the instrument with everyone. She has been the Assistant Music Director at the Washington Toho Koto Society, with which the University of Maryland has held joint concerts for over fifty years. Prior to accepting a faculty position at UMD, Yuriko was a frequent substitute teacher and mentor to a number of UMD koto ensemble students. 

Her performance venues include colleges, high schools and other secondary schools, libraries, concert halls, museums, arboretums, regional festivals, senior centers, cultural centers, and government facilities such as the Embassy of Japan. In addition, she has enjoyed performing at private functions such as weddings, receptions and memorial services. 

Raising four children and finally becoming an empty nester, she is very excited to reach out to the young and talented students at UMD by sharing her love of koto music.