Yumiko Samejima graduated from the vocal music department of Tokyo University of the Fine Arts and Music as well as from its Graduate School. She was awarded the Ataka Award. In 1979, she made her debut as Desdemona in “Otello” with the Nikikai Opera Company. Then, she went to study at the Berlin Music University on a scholarship from the German government .There she studied under the famous soprano, Elizabeth Grunmar. While studying at the university, she carried out a broad variety of performance activities throughout Germany and other countries in Europe. From 1982 she became an exclusive singer for the Wilhem Opera in Germany where she played a variety of major roles. In 1985, she attracted the attention with her recording debut entitled “Song of Japan.” 　 　 Since then, she has continued a broad range of activities including operas, recitals, concert tours and appearances on radio and television in Europe, Central America and South America and Japan. In 1992, she sang the role of Tsu in the most popular Japanese opera, “Yuzuru,” for the first time, for which she received high praise, subsequently performing in it every two years, and she participated in its Moscow tour in 1998. In 1993, she played the role of Michiko Sugawara in “Arias of Wanderers,” given for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of NHK Hall with Kenji Sawada and Jun Kazefuki. In 1995, she played Desdemonda in Shakespeare’s version of “Othello,” with Mikijiro Hira and Kunio Murai, successfully carrying off this major dramatic role in an attempt that is unusual for classical singers. In 1999, she played the heroine Sonya in the original opera “Crime and Punishment” produced by the New National Theatre in Japan. And the memories are still fresh of her performance in the newly staged “Yuzuru” as Tsu, produced by the same New National Theatre in Japan in 2000. In 1990, she received the Japan gold disc award, and in 1991 the Crystal Prize of Osaka’s The Symphony Hall. She has released numerous CDs through Colombia Music Entertainment. She has published such books as “On Wings of Song” (Friends of Music Publishers-Ongaku no Tomo Sha), and “In the Shade of the Sycamore Tree” (Puratanasu no Kokage de), and she translated “The Art of Accompaniment” (Banso no Geijutsu) (Muzkanova). She is a member of the Nikikai Opera Company.