Dr. Midori Koga

Biography

With performances described as 'passionate' (Ann Arbor News), 'meltingly lovely', and 'rippling clean' (Globe Mail), pianist Midori Koga has performed across Canada, the USA, Spain, Taiwan, China, and Austria. Her chamber music collaborations include work with the acclaimed percussion ensemble NEXUS and the Soundstreams Ensemble, as well as members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra during the New Creations Festival. Koga is a founding member of HAVEN, a trio consisting of soprano, clarinet, and piano, known for commissioning a compelling repertoire of contemporary music from North American composers. Her recordings have been released on several labels, including Albany and NAXOS, with albums such as 'given cannot hold' (Blue Griffin, 2023) and 'Twinge' (Blue Griffin, 2019) available on streaming platforms. Additionally, she has received numerous grants for her work, including the Barlow Endowment Commissioning Grant and multiple Classical Commissioning Grants from Chamber Music America. An active lecturer and adjudicator, Dr. Koga specializes in piano pedagogy and has presented workshops globally. She is currently a Professor at the University of Toronto, where she teaches piano and serves as Director of the first Canadian MMus and DMA programs in Piano Pedagogy and Performance. Koga holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan.

Research Interests