Expertise • Enthusiasm • Excellence
“I have been impressed again and again at how Atsuko has kept T__ engaged. She doesn’t overwhelm him, yet she teaches to his full ability. (…) I am so very confident that Atsuko will be a great asset to your institution. She has been a treasure to our family, and I recommend her without hesitation to any friend looking for a piano teacher.”
- parent of a student who started at age 6 and is now 9
“She is a remarkable, kind, and talented teacher, and we are so fortunate to have found her when we were first searching for a new piano instructor after our 2015 move. I recommend her with the greatest enthusiasm.”
- parent of a student who started at age 7 and is now 14
Atsuko Jozaki
Piano
Atsuko did her undergraduate training at Elizabeth University in Hiroshima, Japan, her MMus at Stanford University, and her DMA at BU, specializing in the music of Ravel. In Japan she taught at the Elizabeth School of Music for Children, and was an Associate Professor at Elizabeth University.
In the US, in addition to her studio at Wayland School of Music, she has taught at All-Newton Music School and Brookline Music School for over 20 years.
Atsuko has appeared in solo and chamber music recitals in Japan, Spain, and the US, and as concerto soloist with several orchestras. She is also pianist and organist at Grace Episcopal Church in Everett.
Meet Atsuko
- How/what age did you start your instrument?
I was five years old when I started the piano. - Did you come from a musical family?
No, actually I am the only musician in my family. My mother, however, loved the music. - Best or funniest (or even worst!) musical memory from childhood?
The worst memory: it was when I was performing a piece for eight hands for a recital. I turned a page then there was not the expected next page! I started turning pages but the page was not there – the music was not bound so it must have slid away. Thank God the two girls at the second piano were continuously playing their parts so my partner and I could resume and we could finish the piece. My teacher first thought it was the wind that caused the accident, but when she found a couple of pages were missing she scolded me a lot! The pages were at my home! - A highlight or two from your performing career:
Performance of entire piano pieces by Maurice Ravel, including the two piano concertos with orchestra - one of them is for the left hand only! Also, performances of contemporary pieces with the ensemble Alea II. These included works such as a piece for a “prepared” (altered) piano, and performance with taped computer-generated music. - What do you love about teaching?
It is great pleasure to watch students make progress! The students, who don’t know anything about the music at the beginning, learn little by little about music and how to play the piano. Then eventually they can play more difficult pieces and enjoy it! - What would you like your students to know about you?
As the episode above tells I am a pretty much clumsy person. So please forgive me even I make mistakes or errors! - Can you share a non-musical fun fact about you?
I love eating! My friends say I am good at making SUSHI. They, however, probably say it because they want me to make the sushi!