Machi Ishida
Machi Ishida (she/her) is a Japanese marimbist and percussionist based in Hiroshima, Japan.
Machi has experienced marimba since the age of 9, receiving 1st Prize, Audience Award and the Best Performance Award at the Stuttgart World Marimba Competition (2022), making her the first person to win three awards at one time. Machi has also received prizes in other world-class competitions, including 4th Prize and Best Performance Award at the Belgium Universal Marimba Competition (2021), 2nd Prize at the Taiwan International Percussion Convention Competition (TIPCC) (2017), and the Espoir Award in the general duo category of the Osaka International Music Competition at the age of 12 (2005).
Photos: Theresa Pewal
Machi's Adams Gear
Machi regularly performs around the world, having performed in Austria, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan and the United States. Highlights including a masterclass at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (RDAM), a concert, ‘Ballade’ with Tanel-Eiko Novikov at the RDAM Percussion Hall, featuring as soloist in Edition Svitzer’s music videos for Adam Tan’s ‘LEVEL100’ and Heng Liu’s ‘When I Think Of You’, and masterclasses and recitals with Adam Tan at the University of Memphis, Arkansas State University, Middle Tennessee State University and University of North Alabama. Machi also performed 100 concerts per year in Japan as a member of the Hiroshima Junior Marimba Ensemble for five years.
Machi is also a member of Marimba Twins, a percussion duo with her twin sister Maho Ishida. Marimba Twins has given numerous performances and six duo recitals since their debut in 2012, receiving 1st Prize in the Duo/Trio Category of the Swiss Percussion Competition (2019). Marimba Twins has expanded to provide educational projects for thousands of elementary and middle school students across Japan.
Machi has a Bachelor of Music Culture Education from Hiroshima University, a master in percussion from Elisabeth University of Music (Japan), after which she studied at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg (France) for a specialist degree, graduating with the highest honours. Machi studied with Emmanuel Séjourné, Hironori Ogawa, Momoko Kamiya, Sumiko Sato and Thomas Vandevenne. Machi is also a scholarship recipient of the Hiroshima Peace Creation Fund, and continues to explore her other passions of percussion such as darabuka, tombak, riq, and daf.
Machi is a Kolberg Mallets Artist (Germany) and is a recording artist for Edition Svitzer and Svitzer Music (Denmark).
