One of Japan's leading pianists, Noriko Ogawa amassed a strong following in Britain and continental Europe early in her career as well. She is a fixture of the BIS label's roster, specializing in French music, Russian music by Alexander Tcherepnin and others, and contemporary music. Ogawa released her debut album, Rain Tree, in 1996; the album featured music by composer Toru Takemitsu. Further albums in the late '90s featured Japanese piano music (Just for Me, 1997), Mussorgsky, and Harald Sæverud. Ogawa has often performed as part of duos with pianist Kathryn Stitt, clarinetist Michael Collins, and violinist Dong-Suk Kang. In 2022, Ogawa released the album Xiaogang Ye: Sichuan Image; by that time, her recording catalog numbered well over 40 items.