Takehiko Yamada studied composition in the graduate school of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, after he graduated with the premier prix in piano accompaniment from the Paris Conservatoire. As an accompanist he has worked with A. Marion(Fl.), T. Tokunaga(Vn.), S. Kudo(Fl.), M. Fujiwara(Vc.), R. Watanabe(Vn.) and many other leading performers from Japan and overseas, and he enjoys a unassailable reputation among many soloists. In recent years, he has planned concerts based on an entirely new format, the aim of which is to enable audiences, as they listen to the music, to gain a better understanding of musical history and the circumstances under which particular pieces have been created.
His musical activities are thus increasingly tending to transcend differences of genre. From November 2001, he presented a monthly series of recitals in Tokyo to widespread critical acclaim.