Tomomi Ota started her musical studies with the piano at an early age, then took up the accordion at the age of 10 under Noboru Emori. After graduating from the Senior High School of Kunitachi College of Music in piano, she moved to Germany and studied the accordion under Mie Miki at Hochschule f?r Musik Detmold Abt. Dortmund (Accordion Education Department) and Folkwang Hochschule Essen (Artists Course). In February 2009, she passed the concerto exam at Folkwang Hochschule Essen with the highest honors. From October 2007, she moved to Vienna and studied at Konservatorium Wien under Grzegorz Stopa. In 2002, she won the third prize at the Third JAA International Accordion Competition (advanced division). Since returning to Japan in the summer of 2009, she has performed widely as a soloist as well as in chamber music and with orchestras. She is also active in collaborating with the composers in creating and premiering new works, as well as perfoming in theatres. Currently, she teaches accordion at the Ongaku Center Co. Ltd., and serves as a board of director of the Japan Accordion Association.