B i o g r a p h y
Degree
Master of Arts: Piano Pedagogy
California State University, Fullerton, School of Music
Member of MTNA, CAPMT, MENC, MTAC
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YAMAHA Music Education System Certified instructor
Ms. Keiko 'Katie' Ikeda is teaching private piano lessons, and enjoys teaching composition, early musicianship/advanced keyboard ensemble classes at the Yamaha Music Centers in Irvine as a certified Yamaha Music Education System instructor. Her students call her, “Ms. Katie.”
Keiko 'Katie' Ikeda began piano and musicianship lessons at a Yamaha Music School in Japan at the age of four. Later, she received private piano instructions with Mrs. Kuniko Fujiwara and Mr. Hiroyuki Yabu, voice lessons with Mrs. Minako Hori (Otsu), and music theory and composition with Mr. Shin Uchiyama. Upon completing her Bachelor’s Degree in International Civilization at Seinan Gakuin University, she joined the The Kyushu Symphony Orchestra (Fukuoka, Japan) as a member of the administrative office for 5 years, and taught music and English at Nihon Gakugeisya as Yamaha System Certified instructor. After she moved to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she took piano lessons at Victoria Conservatory of Music with Mrs. Kristine Beny and Dr. Michael Redshaw, and participated in master classes with Mrs. Winifred Scott Wood.
Since moving to California, she further studied piano with Dr. Rob Watson, music education with Dr. Dennis Siebenaler, conducting with Dr. Mitchell Fennell, and received a Masters Degree in Piano Pedagogy under the guidance of Dr. Martha Baker-Jordan at California State University, Fullerton, School of Music. She received piano instructions from Dr. Mikhail Korzhev, Mr. Nigel Hutchison (London, UK), Ms. Susan de Burgh (Victoria, CA) and Mr. Leonid Levitsky as well.
Since age of twelve, she started playing clarinet, and was a member of Seinan Gakuin University Wind Ensemble, which received a silver prize at All Japan Wind Ensemble Competition. In the U.S., she was a member of University of California Irvine Wind Ensemble, and California State University, Fullerton Wind Ensemble. She especially appreciates the clarinet instruction she received since college years, with Mr. Toru Mizusaki (Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, Japan), Prof. Håkan Rosengren (CSU Fullerton, CA), and Mr. Nuno Silva (Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, Portugal). Currently, she enjoys playing with biennial CSU Fullerton Alumni Band when the schedule matches. Ms. Ikeda was a recipient of Seinan Gakuin University Alumni Scholarship for Clarinet performance.
Her students who enjoy performing and creating compositions are also awarded with many prizes at local and statewide events. In past years, her students were awarded as MTAC Composers Today State Contest's 2nd place (in 2017), 1st & 3rd place winners (in 2019), and 2nd & 3rd place winners (in 2020). She served as a branch president of MTAC Orange Coast Cities Branch for the years 2009-2011, and was a board member for 2012-2013, 2014-2015. Currently she is serving as MTAC Composers Today State Adjudicator Coordinator.