Masako Narikawa, Pianist
Described as “performance with flash of brilliant instinct and passion in Dvorak’s waltz” and “extreme sensitivity, colorfulness of tone, and freedom of phrasing and articulation” (Musica Nova, Japan), Masako Narikawa has been performing as a solo pianist, collaborator of chamber music, accompanist, and also as a piano pedagogue throughout her career. She entered TOHO Ga
kuen School of Music in Tokyo, Japan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Then, she moved to North America, and received her Artist Diploma at Vancouver Academy of Music, Canada, and the Master of Musical Arts at the University of North Texas, USA. Since her debut recital in Tokyo and a soloist with the Pan-Asia Orchestra in Hong-Kong in 1987, Masako has performed in solo and chamber music recitals in Japan, Hong-Kong, Canada, United States, Poland, Holland, Bulgaria, and was invited to the Brno International Music Festival in the Czech Republic to give solo recitals. She has also performed as a soloist with the Plovdiv State Philharmonic Orchestra, Bulgaria, and Sherman Chamber Orchestra, Texas. Masako has received prizes in numerous national and international piano competitions, such as the Gold prize at PTNA Young Pianists’ Competition (Tokyo, Japan), the first prize at Antonin Dvorak International Piano Competition (Prague, Czech), and the special recognition award at Texas Steinway Society, to name a few. Her teachers of piano include Satoko Tokumaru, Kiyoko Tanaka, Sawako Iwash*ta, Kum-Sing Lee, Eugene Skovorodnikov, and Adam Wodnicki. Masako has previously served as a faculty of vocal accompanying and coaching at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, a faculty of piano, accompanying, coaching, and class piano at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and a staff accompanist at Texas Woman’s University. She now lives in Flower Mound, TX and enjoys teaching all levels and ages of piano students. Masako also works as an organist/ pianist at First Presbyterian Church in Denison, TX, and piano instructor at Lone Star Music Academy in Flower Mound, TX.
