It is an honour to serve on the board of the CNMN as a Manitoba Representative. Before returning to Canada in 2006, I lived as a Canadian pianist and educator in London England, Boston, Paris and Frankfurt for 21 years. Living abroad, it was a priority for me to represent, champion, perform and collaborate/commission Canadian music and multimedia works. This continues to be my passion and path. However, despite the vibrant and diverse arts community in Brandon Manitoba where I have lived for the past 13 years, it can be more challenging for artists in rural communities to stay connected with the national new music community, often driven by Canada’s larger cities. I therefore feel fortunate to support CNMN’s work to advance access, connections and opportunities for all new music artists and audiences, across regions, cultures and languages in Canada and for Canadians all over the world. I aim to bring my experience as a pianist and multimedia performer, living and working both in Canada and in different countries, as well as teaching, administrative, networking and curatorial background to my contributions with CNMN.
“Her depth of understanding of narrative is unprecedented and her ability to translate musical composition into something emotionally vivid and alive is quite extraordinary (The Wholenote 2018).”
Megumi Masaki is active as a pianist, multimedia artist, educator, researcher, conductor and curator. The innovation and breadth of her artistic activity, dynamic temperament and “riveting and mind-expanding” (Fréttablaðið) performances have earned her a reputation as a leading interpreter of new music and multimedia works. She specializes in exploring how sound, image, text and movement can be integrated and interactive in multimedia works. Megumi frequently collaborates with composers, visual artists, writers and choreographers on interdisciplinary projects involving new technologies to expand and recontextualize how concert works for the piano are created, performed and received. Over 40 piano, multimedia (piano/toy piano/Roli Seaboard + interactive and fixed electronics + video + text + movement + unconventional instruments) and chamber works have been composed especially for Megumi, and she has premiered over 90 works worldwide.
Megumi is featured at major festivals and venues around the world, including the Barbican’s Sound Unbound Festival, Shanghai New Music Festival, Dark Music Days Festival Reykjavik, Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music Paris (IRCAM), Drogheda Arts Festival Ireland, Bangor Music Festival Wales, Winnipeg New Music Festival, JUNOfest Classical Showcase, ISCM World New Music Days Festival, Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, and the National Art Gallery Ottawa.
Megumi is Professor of piano and director of the New Music Ensemble and New Music Festival at Brandon University. She is also a member of the interdisciplinary Noiseborder Ensemble Windsor ON and Slingshot-Kidõ Hartford CT, the Artistic Director of the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, on faculty at the Casalmaggiore International Festival Italy, Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival in Manchester UK and at the Banff Centre. She is regularly invited to curate programs for established festivals and concert series, and to give lectures and masterclasses at universities worldwide including Oxford University, Royal Academy, Royal College, Trinity Laban, University of St Andrews, University of York, Mainz University, UBC, Queen’s University, National University of Mexico, Sichuan Conservatory and Beijing Central Conservatory.