She then embarked on an international career as both opera and concert singer. She made her Austrian debut in the title role of Handel's Alcina for Innsbruck's Festwochen der Alten Musik- a production that was awarded by the European Broad Casting Union. She joined the Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck and later the Staatstheater Darmstadt where she sang principal roles. Her appearances in the demanding Bel Canto roles of Adina in L'Elisir D'Amore, the title roles of La Sonnambula and La Fille du Regiment were greeted with great enthusiasm by audience and critics alike and her sensational triumph as Lucia di Lammermoor led to her nomination as The best singer of the year (1998) by Opernwelt magazine. Her stylish interpretations of Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier and Pamina in Die Zauberflote were also greatly acclaimed.

Photo by Neue Oper Wien

Her stunning debut as Sonja in Der Zarewitsch at the Vienna Volksoper in 1999 was followed by other successes: as Violetta in La Traviata; Anne in The Rake's Progress; Annina in Eine Nacht in Venedig. In 2007 She made her debut at the Hamburg State Opera as Donna Fiorilla in Il Turco in Italia. At the same time, her career has continued to develop in Japan where she frequently appears with NHK Orchestra and New National Theater Tokyo.

In the field of concert and recital, Akiko Nakajima has a broad repertoire, reaching from the Bach Passions and lieder by Schubert and Wolf, to contemporary composers. She has appeared in festivals such as Festival Dei Due Mondi, Spoleto; Festwochen der Alten Musik Innsbruck; Munchener Biennale, Wiener Festwochen. Venues at which she has appeared include the Leipzig Gewandhaus; Berliner Philharmonie; Konzerthaus Wien; Thèâtre des Champs Elysèes; Wigmore Hall in London; Avery Fisher Hall in New York; Walt Desney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as well as Suntory Hall and NHK Hall in Tokyo.

Photo by Masako TSUNODA

Among the celebrated conductors with whom she has appeared are; Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Seiji Ozawa, Herbert Blomstedt, Charles Dutoit, Kazushi Ono, Myung-Whun Chung and Thomas Hengelbrock.

Akiko Nakajima's first solo CD “La Pastorella” has been released by Preiser Records (PR90647) and was nominated for the Deutschen Schallplattenkritik list. “Female Portraits” (PR90691), a collection of operatic arias and duets was followed by another recording, “Plaisir d’amour” (CDS556) from an Italian Label, Dynamic in 2008. A DVD recording of a live concert of Britten’s Mid Summer Night’s Dream with Seiji Ozawa was documented by NHK Enterprise in 2009. In early 2011, much awaited operetta CD,“Wien, Stadt meiner Träume”【Gramola 98908】will be released on Viennese label Gramola.

Photo by Morphing Chamber Orchestra

Highlights of her future engagements in 2011 include a newly commissioned opera written for her voice, “A mermaid” and the Deutsche Requiem with NHK Symphony Orchestra under André Previn.

Season 2011/01