She was born in Osaka but grew up in Europe, attending the National Conservatory of Music in Paris with older sister Mari. Kodama was born in Osaka, Japan, but spent her early years in Europe, with her family moving there in 1973 and attending school in Germany.
Kodama studied with Murray Perahia, András Schiff, Vera Gornostayeva and Tatiana Nikolayeva.
Since then she has performed with various symphonic orchestras and cultural festival in Europe and Latin America and has released six recordings. She began playing piano at age three and like older sister Mari, did her professional studies at the National Conservatory of Music in Paris with Momo entering at age 13. Kodama made her debut in 1991 at the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, and since then has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai Symphony Orchestra, NDR Hamburg, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Orchestra Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Kodama has also appeared in various cultural festivals such as the Marlboro in the United States, Verbier in Switzerland.
Louisiana Roque d’Anthéron and Festival d’Automne in France, Festival Enesco in Romania, Festival Tivoli in Denmark, Settembre Music in Italy, and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. Her first major award was first place at the 1987 Concours International d’Epinal.
She made her debut in 1991 with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and was the youngest winner of the International Piano Competition in Munich at age 19. Kodomo was the youngest winner at the International Piano Competition in Munich at age 19. She later won the 1999 International Terence Judd Award in England, and the 2011 Saji Keizo Prize from the Suntory Foundation.
