Described as “performance with flash of brilliant instinct and passion in Dvorak’s Waltz” and has “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.

Masako began studying piano at the age of four. She entered TOHO Gakuen School of Music inTokyo, Japan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music. She also received her Artist Diploma at Vancouver Academy of Music, Canada, and the Master of Musical Arts at University of North Texas, USA.

Since her debut recital in Tokyo and solo performance with The Pan-Asia Orchestra in Hong Kong in 1987, Masako has performed in solo and chamber music recitals in Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, the United States, Poland, Holland, and Bulgaria. She 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, TX.

Masako has received prizes in numerous national and international piano competitions, such as Gold Prize at PTNA Young Pianist Competition (Tokyo, Japan), First Prize at Antonio Dvorak

International Piano Competition (Prague, Czech), and a special recognition award at Texas Steinway Society, to name a few.

Her mentors of piano include Satoko Tokumaru, Kiyoko Tanaka, Sawako Iwashita, Kim-Sing Lee, Eugene Skovorodnikov, and Adam Wodnicki.

Masako previously served as faculty of vocal accompanying and coaching at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, was a faculty of piano, accompanying, coaching, and class piano at

Austin College in Sherman, TX, and staff accompanist at Texas Woman’s University.

Masako currently lives in Flower Mound, TX, and enjoys teaching all levels and ages of piano students. She is also a pianist at First Presbyterian Church in Denison and Grand Avenue

Presbyterian Church in Sherman, TX.