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Historical Piano Concerts Series
About the Musicians

Misuzu Tanaka

 Misuzu Tanaka, piano

As an avid performer of the music of J. S. Bach and Leoš Janáček, Misuzu Tanaka has established herself as an artist of remarkable individuality with a rare combination of poetic sensitivity and breathtaking virtuosity. Recently hailed by critics as a pianist "who dispatched everything with both dizzying speed and sensitivity”, she is the winner of many prestigious competitions including First Prize at the Poland Music Festival Competition and Second prize at the Joan and Daniel Rutenberg Chamber Music Competition.

An advocate of modern music, she collaborated with many prominent living composers and gave the world premieres of works by Paul Moravec (Pulitzer Prize Winner), Alberto E. Colla, and Ivan Božičević. Ms. Tanaka presented highly acclaimed recitals at Alice Tully Hall in New York, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany, Villa Bertramka, Mozart Museum in Prague, Mest’anská Beseda Velký Sal in Pilsen,
Czech Republic as well as in Gdansk, Poland. She was also invited as a special guest artist to perform for former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as well as former Ambassador of the Slovak Republic, Ronald Weiser.

As a chamber musician, Ms. Tanaka performed extensively with the Garth Newel Piano Quartet at the Garth Newel Music Center where she was Resident Pianist and Co-Artistic Director. During her time there, she collaborated with prominent artists including James Dunham (Cleveland Quartet), Robert Merfeld, Richard Faria, and members of the National Symphony Orchestra. During this time she was also involved in being a mentor and coach to pianists from the Governor’s Schools in Virginia and to college-level chamber music groups through the Young Artists Fellowship Program. She was invited to prestigious summer music festivals in the United States and Czech Republic such as Bowdoin International Music Festival, Prague International Piano Masterclasses, and the International Music Academy in Pilsen where she studied with famed Czech pianist Ivan Moravec. Ms. Tanaka studied piano at the Juilliard School with Martin Canin and Chamber music with Jacob Lateiner, Seymour Lipkin, and Robert Mann. She holds a Masters in Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Michigan where she studied with Dr. Logan Skelton.


We are privileged to welcome Misuzu Tanaka to her first appearance in the Historical Piano Concerts Series here in Ashburnham.

More about Misuzu Tanaka at her website, misuzutanaka.com.