Misuzu Tanaka, Piano

Biography

Hailed by international press as a pianist "who dispatched everything with both dizzying speed and sensitivity" (Today’s Zaman, Turkey) and for her “exceptionally high technical level” (General-Anzeiger Bonn, Germany), Misuzu Tanaka has established herself as an artist of individuality with a rare combination of poetic sensitivity and breathtaking virtuosity.

She has performed in prestigious concert venues throughout the world, from the Gewandhaus in Leipzig and Mozart’s Museum at Villa Bertramka in Prague to Alice Tully Hall in New York. Ms. Tanaka is a respected regular performer for Music from the Frederick Collection, a leading North-American venue for performance on historical instruments. Enjoying an active solo career in the U.S., she is among the country’s brightest emerging stars.

She opens her 2016-2017 season with a performance of Mozart’s Concerto No.9 with the Amadeus Festival Orchestra under the direction of Maestro John Zoltek. Her recital highlights of the season include performances on the Pro Musica in San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), Chamber Music Society of Maryland, Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society, and a tour of South Africa among others.

Highlights of the past season include recitals at California State University Sacramento Piano Series, Distinguished Artists Lecture and Concert Series in Santa Cruz (CA), Warner Robins Community Concert Association (GA) and the Rappahannock Concert Association in Heathsville (VA).

An avid small-ensemble collaborator, Misuzu Tanaka has also collaborated with prominent artists including James Dunham (Cleveland Quartet) and members of the National Symphony Orchestra. In 2012, together with her artistic partner and critically acclaimed clarinetist Maksim Shtrykov, she began touring throughout the United States as the Shtrykov-Tanaka Duo.

Born in London, where she began her piano lessons at age 5, she continued her studies in Japan and in the United States with Martin Canin at The Juilliard School. Her Masters and Doctoral degrees are from University of Michigan where she was a full scholarship recipient studying with Dr. Logan Skelton, during which she devoted much time to the study and performance of the works of Leoš Janáček. Other notable teachers include the late Ivan Moravec, and Miroslav Brejcha in the Czech Republic.