Born in Yokohama, Japan, Dr. Momoro Ono studied piano in the United States-initially with Kathryna Barone at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory near Philadelphia. His family later moved to Baltimore where Momoro worked with Barbara English Maris and Julian Martin. At the Juilliard School, he studied with Adele Marcus as a recipient of the William Petschek Piano Scholarship, receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. At the Peabody Conservatory, he studied with Leon Fleisher under full scholarship and received his Artist Diploma and Doctorate.
Chamber music studies include classes with Felix Galimir, Samuel Sanders and Earl Carlyss at Juilliard. At Peabody, he studied with Berl Senofsky, Shirley Givens and Ellen Mack. With his violinist wife, Heejoung Kim, members of the Guarneri Quartet coached them at the University of Maryland. This led to the formation of the Kimono Duo, which has given numerous recitals in the US.
Dr. Ono's orchestral appearances include those with the Baltimore Symphony and the Pittsburgh Symphony-which was broadcast live on NPR. Dr. Ono has given numerous recitals in the US, including one at the Kennedy Center concert hall. He has performed chamber music in Glasgow and toured Japan as well. In 1980, Dr. Ono won the Silver Medal at the Three Rivers International Piano Competition. Within two weeks, he also won first prize at the Gina Bachauer Memorial Competition at Juilliard and was featured on WQXR's Young Artists Showcase.
In 2010, Dr. Ono gave two recitals at Creighton University, where he currently teaches. The same year, he gave a recital and master class at Seoul National University. In 2011, he gave a recital at the University of Alaska at Anchorage where he also judged a piano competition. Later that year, his wife and himself presented a violin and piano recital of music by Asian composers, including the Butterfly Lovers Concerto, at Creighton University. In February of 2014, he gave a recital and master class at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music during the Bearcat Piano Festival. He also taught piano at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as Visiting Instructor in 2014-15, giving master classes and presenting a recital in 2015. The same year, Dr. Ono also gave a recital at Creighton University during the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Fine & Performing Arts Department, as well as appearing in Cincinnati for a highly acclaimed recital on the Xavier Recital Series.