AKIKO TARUMOTO began her violin studies at age five. Her principal teachers have been Masao Kawasaki, Dorothy DeLay, and Glenn Dicterow. A native of New York, Tarumoto studied at the preparatory division of the Juilliard School and received her Bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature with honors from Harvard University in 1998. In 2000 she received her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School and won a position with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 2004 she was appointed to the first violin section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Tarumoto returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic this fall as a member of the second violin section. Her husband, violinist Nathan Cole, was recently appointed First Associate Concertmaster.