A native of Osaka, Japan, pianist Rie Tanaka has earned acclaim for her “brilliant performance” (Chunichi Shimbun, Central Japan News) and “lovely sensitivity” (Pioneer Press). She is a prize winner of international and national competitions in Japan and the U.S., winning the MTNA Young Artist Competition in the West Central Division, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Schubert Club Competition (1st), Chautauqua Piano Competition (Finalist, Commissioned Piece Award), Rosenstock International Piano Competition (Special Judge’s Award), to name a few. She has been featured in media such as Minnesota Public Radio’s Your Classical, Wisconsin Public Radio’s Route 51, Fox9 Minneapolis, and the Star Tribune, which has listed her concerts in The Week’s Best in the Twin Cities several times.
Dr. Tanaka maintains an active concert schedule, performing extensively as a soloist and chamber musician. She has graced renowned venues such as NHK Osaka Hall and Phoenix Hall in Osaka, Japan; the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota; and the prestigious Wiener Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. A passionate chamber musician, she has been the guest collaborative pianist for the Lakes Area Music Festival, South Beach Chamber Ensemble, Griffon Quartet at Midsummer’s Music, and An Opera Theatre. Her dynamic partnership with award-winning choreographer and ballet dancer Ms. Yuki Tokuda has resulted in over ten original ballet productions, supported by organizations such as the Minnesota State Arts Board, Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, Japan America Society of Minnesota, and MacPhail Center for Music.
Committed to promoting high-quality piano education on an international scale, Dr. Tanaka joined the Frances Clark Center’s International Initiative team in 2024. She has been invited to lead lectures and workshops at various universities and music festivals, including the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, the University of North Carolina Asheville, the University of Minnesota Duluth, the Saint Paul Chamber Music Institute, and many local chapters of the Music Teachers National Association in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Washington.
Dr. Tanaka currently serves as an Instructor of Piano at the University of Arizona, where she teaches applied piano, group piano, and chamber music. Prior to this role, she held teaching positions at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Macalester College, MacPhail Center for Music, and Saint Paul Conservatory of Music.
Dr. Tanaka earned her MM and DMA in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota under Professor Alexander Braginsky and her BM from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where she studied with Dr. Raffi Besalyan.
Learn more at her official website: riepiano.com.
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