“Favorite of the Year,” as quoted by the French newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace, Yoko Wende touched many hearts during her performance at the international jazz festival Au Grès du Jazz 2018 in France. The festival director praised her as “the Japanese artist who turned a garden of France into a Zen garden.”

​

Yoko’s voice, deeply rooted in her performing arts background, conveys powerful stories and emotions. On scholarship, she trained at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York and performed on prestigious stages such as Carnegie Hall and La MaMa Theatre.

​

In 2009, Yoko relocated to Hong Kong, dedicating herself to singing as a form of expression. Her fame quickly grew as a jazz singer, performing at festivals and major concert halls, while making regular appearances at top jazz clubs. Time Outmagazine called her a “first-rate jazz singer.”

​

In 2019, she returned to Tokyo to reconnect with her cultural roots and deepen her artistic expression. Her debut album, The Path of the Wind, is a soulful tribute to Japanese composers Ryuichi Sakamoto and Joe Hisaishi, arranged for classical guitar and vocals. In 2023, Yoko graced the stage of a national treasure temple, captivating 1,100 listeners with her mystical voice during an annual concert held since 1989.

​

Currently based in Amsterdam, Yoko was invited to perform at the International Criminal Court in The Hague in front of ambassadors and judges at the 2025 Judicial Year Opening, as well as on Eva, the Netherlands’ most-watched talk show.

 

She is now developing new music inspired by Japanese folk songs and Japanese compositions, interpreted through contemporary collaboration with a Dutch classical guitarist.