Award-winning pianist Megumi Masaki has established herself as an international artist renowned for her warmth and rapport with audiences and her superb musicianship. Her critically acclaimed performances, both in recital and as soloist with orchestra, have taken her across Canada, the USA, England, Ireland, Germany, Cyprus, Japan, China, Taiwan and the Pilippines.
A dedicated scholar, she has studied under scholarship with a wide range of piano masters - Leonard Isaacs, Ronald Turini in Canada, Anthony di Bonaventura in the USA, Kendall Taylor in England and Rudolf Kehrer in Germany. She has earned the Master and Bachelor of Music Degrees from the University of Western Ontario and the Post-graduate Diploma from the Royal College of Music, London. Megumi's publications include her Critical Edition of Eckhardt-Gramatté's "Piano Caprices", published in 1996 by Brandon University Press.
She is also heralded as an outstanding pedagogue having taught at Boston University, the Chantilly Conservatoire, France and has given Lecture Recitals and international Master Classes at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany, the Sichuan University, China, the Taichung Music School, Taiwan, and the Waterford Arts Institute, USA.
She is the recipient of numerous scholarships, awards and grants from the Deutsches Olympisches Institut, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Government, The Canada Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council, British Council and SSHRCC and won First Prize at the Vivian Hamilton Chopin Competition and Second Prize at Cornelia Fisher Competition, London. Masaki was recently awarded the Willi-Daume Prize from the Deutsches Olympisches Institut and German National Olympic Committee for her project "Music and the Olympic Games".She has made several recordings for CBC Radio and under the E-Gré Label including the CD "Selected Piano Works of S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté" and Gem Productions released the CD "The Masaki Duo: Impressions" in 2001.An avid chamber musician, Megumi presently collaborates with virtuoso violinist Koh Gabriel Kameda who has performed as soloist with the world's leading conductors and orchestras. Together with her violinist sister Kathy Masaki, the Masaki Duo has appeared in Canada, Germany and the United States. In 1999 the Masaki Duo founded the annual Waterford Summer Music Festival at the Waterford Arts Institute where Megumi acts as Artistic Co-director, Conductor, Pianist and Coach.
Highlights from past performances include the 2001 IAWM Chamber Music Festival in Washington DC, the 2001 Waterford Festival Utah, the 2001 Pacific Rim Festival Canada and recitals in Europe. Recent concerts include a 2002 tour of Western Canada, concerts for the 2002 Winter Olympics Arts Festival in Utah, a 2003 tour of Ontario and Manitoba and a 9-city tour throughout Germany.
