Japanese soprano Akiko Nakajima’s career began after winning the Australian Singing Competition in 1991. In quick succession, there followed her debut with Opera Australia in La clemenza di Tito under Christopher Hogwood and her European debut at the Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli as Musetta in La Bohème. Among the 57 operatic roles she sang, notable roles include Lucia, Amina (La sonnambula), Violetta, Anne (The Rake’s Progress), Susanna, Norina, Adina, Sophie, and Pamina. She has performed under renowned conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Herbert Blomstedt, Zubin Mehta and Andre Previn. The opera houses and theatres she appeared in include Vienna Volksoper, Hamburg State Opera, Alte Oper Frankfurt, New National Theatre Tokyo, Theatre Champs Elysees, Suntory Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Walt Disney Hall, Konzerthaus Vienna, Musikverein Vienna and Wigmore Hall.

Akiko Nakajima's first solo CD, La Pastorella was nominated for the Deutschen Schallplattenkritik list and the second solo CD, Female Portraits was followed by Plaisir d’amour. A DVD recording of a live concert of Britten’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with Seiji Ozawa was documented by NHK Enterprise, and Wien, Stadt meiner Träume, which was recorded by the Viennese label Gramola at Musikverein. As the general director of the Noura Opera Foundation in Japan and a professor at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, Nakajima continues to leave an indelible mark on the global operatic and vocal concert scenes.