Yoko Miwa

Position
Associate Professor
Affiliated Departments
Faculty Bio E-Mail
Telephone
617-747-6251

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Career Highlights
  • Leader of Yoko Miwa Trio
  • Yoko Miwa Trio's Pathways (2017) appeared on the top 10 National Jazz Radio chart for four weeks running and consistently remained in the Top 40, peaking at no. 6
  • Performances with Jazzmeia Horn, Slide Hampton, Arturo Sandoval, George Garzone, and Sheila Jordan, among many others
  • Recordings include In the Mist of Time, Fadeless Flower, Canopy of Stars, The Day We Said Good Bye, Live at Scullers Jazz Club, Act Naturally, and Pathways
  • Performances include 2018 Atlanta Jazz Festival, 2018 Litchfield Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2015 Jazz and Leadership Workshop for the National Urban League’s Youth Summit, Jazz at Lincoln Center's 2011 Coca-Cola Generations Jazz Festival, and Marian McPartland's NPR show Piano Jazz, among others
Awards
  • Nominated for Jazz Artist of the Year 2016 and 2017 at the Boston Music Awards, and Jazz Act of the Year 2018 at the New England Music Awards
  • Winner of Top Jazz Act, Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll, 2012
Education
  • Diploma, Osaka College of Music
  • Diploma, Berklee College of Music
  • Diploma, Koyo Conservatory of Music
In Their Own Words

"I strive to help develop the technique of my students so they have the ability to play what they are hearing in their head, while at the same time helping to develop their vocabulary, hearing, and awareness. I try to encourage my students to be more than prepared so they can be focused on communicating and interacting with the other musicians they are playing with. If you have to use all your concentration to be able to make all the chord changes, play a specific rhythm, or play a unison line, then you're going to miss out on all of that communication and interaction that is essential for group playing."

"I attended Berklee as a student, and I remember the valuable information and experiences I took away from my education here. I've also been blessed to play with some amazing musicians, so I bring those experiences into my teaching, too. You can learn all the notes and have unrivaled technique on your instrument and still miss the mark without being able to relate it to a real-life musical experience. I always make it a point to spend a certain amount of time playing together or even composing with my students, sharing with them the lifelong process of developing what appeals to them and editing what's unnecessary."

"There is so much diversity in the Piano Department. It's such an inspiring environment to be around all the students and teachers. No matter what style of music you're into, the one thing that unifies all of us is our love for music. You are here because music is your life!"

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