"She transformed the Museum into a Cathedral of Music... Ayako Yonetani performed twice during the Kosice Spring Music Festival this year and proved to be 'the most favorite performer' of this year's festival” —-Korzo, Slovak Republic

    "A high sense of beauty.”                       ———Ongaku no Tomo, Tokyo, Japan

      "Ravishing tone, technical mastery, and all-out expressiveness distinguished her playing…” about Sibelius concerto               ————-Herald-Tribune

Ayako Yonetani is a  full professor of violin and viola at the University of Central Florida. Born in Kobe, Japan, she commenced her violin studies at the age of five under the guidance of the esteemed Saburo Sumi. Demonstrating extraordinary talent, since winning the Japan National competition at the age of nine, propelling her to the pinnacle of Japan's violinists.

Yonetani received her Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees from the Juilliard School where she studied with Hyo Kang and the late Dorothy DeLay, world-renowned violin pedagogue, who taught such artists as Itzahk Perlman, Midori, Cho-Liang Lin, Gil Shaham and Sarah Chang. Yonetani further assisted Miss DeLay from 1987 to 2001 at the Juilliard pre-college division and the Aspen Music Festival and School.

Since her relocation to the United States in 1982, Yonetani has captivated audiences in major cities such as New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Orlando. Her performances encompass a diverse range, including solo recitals, orchestral solos, chamber music, and ensemble collaborations. Noteworthy venues where she appeared include Tokyo’s Kioi Hall, Slovak Republic’s Dome Umenia, and Astana City Hall in Kazakhstan.

Yonetani's international acclaim extends beyond performances to recordings, publications, and roles as a master-teacher and judge for musical competitions. Her solo CD featuring Tchaikovsky/Mendelssohn compositions and six ensemble CDs with Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo have garnered critical acclaim. The "CD of the Month" recognition for her Tchaikovsky/Mendelssohn concerto CD by WMFE-90.7FM in October 2004 is testament to her artistic excellence.

As a respected judge, Yonetani contributed to the International Competition, "Shabyt, 2005," in Kazakhstan and premiered a double violin concerto with the Astana City Symphony Orchestra, showcasing her commitment to new musical works. Her "Favourite" CD received favorable reviews in the London-based Strad magazine in 2009.

In 2017, Yonetani released her fourth solo double CD featuring the Beethoven Violin concerto, Beethoven Romances, and the Brahms Violin concerto, followed by the release of the CD "Romantic Russian" with Glazunov/Tchaikovsky concerto in 2019.

Adding to her diverse contributions, Yonetani translated Barbara L. Sand’s book "Teaching Genius: Dorothy DeLay and the Making of a Musician" into Japanese, published by Japan’s premier music publisher, Ongaku no Tomo, in November 2001.

Acknowledging her significant impact on the musical community, Dr. Yonetani was elected as an Honorary Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute in 2006. In 2018, she assumed the role of director/coach for UCF’s Pegasus String Quartet Graduate Program

Mostly recently, she performed Mozart concerto at Carnegie Weil Hall, and she is scheduled to perform three recitals at Kosice Organ Festival in Slovakia in 2025.  She was awarded 2024 Pabst Steinmetz Foundation Arts and Wellness Innovation Awards.  She will present a session in 2025 ASTA National Conference in Atlanta.