Since moving to the U.S in 1993, she has performed extensively at festivals, concerts, lecture-recitals, and on television/radio and studio recordings. Her performances have included performing at the Art Institute of Chicago, Portland Art Museum, UCLA, Smith College, Bowdoin College, Emory University, Colby College, Northwestern University, Princeton and Yale universities and major music festivals throughout the USA such as the Lotus Festival and the Kansas and St. Louis Japan Festivals.

Ms. Hiraoka taught world music ensemble at the University of Colorado in 1997-98 and has been teaching students at Naropa University in Boulder since 1995.

Her professional performance career originated in Japan and spans almost 30 years. She has been a member of Kyoto Hogaku Group (an orchestra of traditional Japanese instruments), Kyoto Sankyoku-kai and Shikandaza Ensemble in Japan. Her repertoire includes contemporary compositions and improvisations.

Yoko Hiraoka is a senior master performer of Biwa, Koto, Shamisen and Jiuta voice. She is a native of Kyoto, Japan and studied classical koto music and Kyushu-ryu Jiuta shamisen with Yoshiko Saito and modern koto music with Shigehiro Shimada in Kyoto. She also studied with Mamoru Ono, founder of Somei Ongakukai in Tokyo. She studied Chikuzen 5-string Biwa with Kõka Suga for many years.