Mayumi Miyata

is a Japanese player of the shō, a traditional Japanese mouth organ.

Miyata was born on April 1, 1954, in Tokyo and graduated from the Kunitachi College of Music, where she majored in piano. While in school, she began studying gagaku music from Ono Tadamaro of the Imperial Household Agency. From 1979 she performed in gagaku concerts at the National Theatre of Japan, and from 1983 she began giving solo shō recitals, which brought her wider public attention.

Although the shō is generally associated with Japan's ancient gagaku court music, Miyata was among the first players of the instrument to specialize in contemporary classical music. She plays a specially constructed instrument with extra pipes, allowing for the use of more chromaticism.

The US composer John Cage (1912–1992) composed a number of works for Miyata just before his death. Cage met her during the 1990 Darmstadt summer course. She has also premiered works by Tōru Takemitsu, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Maki Ishii, Joji Yuasa, Klaus Huber, Toshio Hosokawa, and Uroš Rojko, and has performed with major orchestras internationally, including the Saito Kinen Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa, the NHK Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit, the New York Philharmonic under André Previn, and the Czech Philharmonic under Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Discography Chaya Czernowin: Die Kreuzung - on Mode Records 77 (1996) John Cage Edition Vol. 23 - Two - on Mode Records 88 (2001) John Cage Edition Vol. 26 - One - on Mode Records 108 (2003) Helmut Lachenmann: Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern - ECM New Series (2 CDs) 1858/59 (2004) Toshio Hosokawa - Landscapes - ECM New Series 2095 (2011)

Honours Kawasaki Cultural Award — Arts Encouragement Prize (1986) 37th Matsuo Geinō Award, Excellence Prize (2016) 67th Arts Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education Award) (2017) Medal with Purple Ribbon (2018) Japan Foundation Award (2021)