Ayako Kawai won 1st Prize of the 40th Japan National Student Music Competition in the High School Piano Division in 1986. She graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music in 1991, and graduated with top honors from l'Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris by earning its Diplôme Supérieur de Concertiste degree in 1994. She won 2nd prize at the 19th Salerno International Piano Competition in Italy in 1996, and in 1997 received 2nd Prize and also the Rolex Prize at the 43rd Maria Canals International Piano Competition. She won 2nd prize at the 8th Cantu International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in 1998. After her debut recital at Salle Cortot in Paris, she continued her performances in Europe including the 11th Chopin Festival hosted by the Paris Chopin Society, the Classical Music Festival in Val d'Isere, recitals in Milano and a joint concert with the Transylvania Philharmonic Orchestra. In Japan, she performed jointly with the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra and the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra and has held lecture concerts as a registered artist for the Public Hall Revitalization Project run by the Japan Foundation for Regional Art-Activities. Ms. Kawai made her appearance in the 20th Yokohama International Piano Concert in 2001, and was the first artist to give a recital under the "Best Pianists of Our Time" series. Since 2002, she has been touring the country and giving recitals under the auspices of Steinway Japan.