Rieko Makita
BIO
Rieko Makita is a Japanese-Australian pianist & composer based in London. Her work explores migration, belonging and memory through composition, performance and immersive storytelling. Praised for her “deeply personal musical voice” (Asian Tones) and distinctive “piano artistry” (ClassikON), she has performed internationally, in Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall and on BBC Radio 3.
In 2026, she was awarded the PRS Foundation’s Open Fund to record her debut EP ‘Where is Home?’ — a project shaped by her experiences across Australia, Japan, and the UK, and a search for home in an increasingly interconnected world. Her music showcases her versatility as a musician at the intersection of classical, jazz and ambient music.
WHERE IS HOME?
Rieko's debut EP, 'Where is Home?', explores the idea of home as a feeling, places and the concept itself. The six tracks captures Rieko's journey as she reflects on her life spread across Japan, Australia and the UK; expressing her current state of searching for a home, and also her appreciation for all the places which has shaped her as a musician.
The EP was recorded at World Heart Beat Studios with Robbie Nelson, mastered by Luis Alvarez, and funded by PRS Foundation's Open Fund for Music Creators.
RELEASE DATE:
October 16th 2026
TRACKS:
1. Sora 3.25
2. Garden of Eden 5.00
3. Where is Home? 3.05
4. A Forgiving Summer 6.00
5. Koma 3.35
6. Still Feels like Home 4.10
MUSIC VIDEO
Koma, to be released on October 2026, Google Drive link
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Haru no sanpo, released February 2025, YouTube video
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
IMMERSIVE NIGHT MUSIC SHOW
Artistic Director and Performer of digital art and music show as part of Wandsworth Arts Fringe, funded by Accelerate Award.
'Many enticing elements... it will be intriguing to see what inspires her next.” (The Arts Desk)
2025
LIGHT WITHIN DARKNESS
Digital art and music show presented at the Anniversary Event of Royal College of Music's Creative Careers Centre, at Britten Theatre
2025
NIGHT & REFLECTIONS
Solo Recital at Tempo Rubato, Melbourne
“(Rieko) clearly revels in these dramatic, virtuoso pieces, with scales, glissandi, crossed hands, repeated thirds and the like: all comfortably in her bag of tricks.” (ClassikON)
2026
