She received a scholarship in 1999 to Berklee College of Music, where she studied Jazz piano, Improvisation, and Composition. In 2002 and 2003, she was a semi-finalist in the Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition. While in college, she toured Germany and Japan with jazz legends Joe Lovano and Bobby McFerrin. She was awarded the DownBeat Student Award for Jazz Soloist Category in 2003. This was before she decided to move to New York to expand her musical horizons. Mamiko has been a regular performer at well-known venues like The Kitano NY and Blue Note NY Sunday Brunch.
