Co-founder
Department Head, Piano
GMS and GMSPD

Education
DMA (Aspirantura) Ural State Mussorgsky Conservatory
MM Ural State Mussorgsky Conservatory
BM Gifted Music School, Ekaterinburg, Russia

Past Teachers
Natalia Pankova, Natalia Litvinova

Professional Affiliations and Activities

Adjunct Professor of Piano, University of Utah, founding member of Gifted Music School.
Dr. Watanabe’s students have been accepted into many prestigious music schools including the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory of Music, Peabody Institute, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her Students have been recognized at national and international competitions, and at every important statewide competition including performances with the Utah Symphony on their annual Salute to Youth program.

Dr. Watanabe is a Steinway Artist.

Piano Faculty, Chamber Music Faculty, Piano Literature, GMS and GMSPD

Past Teachers
Leonard Richter, Robert McDonald

Education
DMA Stony Brook University
MM Juilliard School
BM Whitman College

Professional Affiliations and Activities

Major awards include 2006 Gold Medalist in Gina Bachauer Competition, First prize Vendome Prize, and awarded Max I. Allen Fellowship of the American Pianists Association.  Solo performances with Juilliard Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, Gulbenkian Symphony, Oxford Philomusica, Tivoli Symphony, Northwest Sinfonietta, Royal Philharmonic of Moroco, Vassa Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg, Indianapolis, Nashville, Sana Fe, Utah, Fort Worth, Tucson, Yakima, Bellevue, Salt Lake, Eastern Sierra, Corvallis, and Walla Walla Symphonies.  Recitals throughout the world.

Founding Executive Director
Artistic Director
GMS and GMSPD

Education
BM Curtis Institute, Violin Performance
BM Curtis Institute, Piano Performance

Past Teachers
Leon Fleisher, Joseph Silverstein, Claude Frank, Arnold Steinhardt, Andres Cardenes

Professional Affiliations and Activities
Founder and director, Gifted Music School. Performances with Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Hamburg Symphony, Saint Lawrence String Quartet, New Zealand String Quartet, New York String Orchestra at Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, Utah Symphony. Solo tours through Europe, Canada, and United States. Major awards at Honens International Competition, Kosciuzko Chopin Competition, Bachauer Young Artist Competition, two time MTNA National winner, Kingsville Competition. His students have been recognized nationally and internationally, many have continued studies at top conservatories and established professional careers.

Mr. Watanabe is a Steinway Artist.

Piano and Chamber Faculty, GMS and GMSPD

Education: MM and GPD, Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. BM the Juilliard School.

Teachers: Leon Fleisher, Richard Goode, Oxana Yablonskaya and Joseph Kalichstein.

Professional Affiliations and Activities: Performances as a soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Philharmonia, Orquesta Sinfonica Ciudad de Gijon, Panama Symphony Orchestra. Recitals in France, Holland, Panama and New York. Chamber music performances at La Jolla SummerFest, Festspiele Mecklenbourg-Vorpommern, the Verbier Festival&Academy and Sarasota Music Festival. 

Piano Faculty, Chamber Faculty, GMS

Education
BM Curtis Institute
MM Yale
DMA Manhattan

Professional Affliations and Activities
Professor of Piano, University of Utah, Winner of Hilton Head International Piano Competition, solo and chamber performances throughout the world.

Head, Supplementary Piano Department, GMS and GMSPD
Piano Faculty, GMSPD

Education
MM Peabody Conservatory, Piano Performance
BM BYU, Piano Performance

Past Teachers
Aiko Onishi, Dr. Irene Peery, and Ellen Mack

Professional Affiliations and Activities
Adjunct Piano Instructor at Utah Valley University. Collaborated with Pacific Talent Education, the San Jose Strings Academy, the Suzuki Association of Northern California Summer Institute at Stanford University, the Music Teachers Association Convention, UNICEF chamber music winners recitals, the Yehudi Menuhin/Helen Dowling Music Competition Winners Recitals, the Baroque Sinfonietta, and the Orpheus Winds.