Rie Tanaka

Biography

A native of Osaka, Japan, Dr. Rie Tanaka is praised for her "brilliant performance" (Central Japan Newspaper) and "lovely sensitivity" (Pioneer Press). A prizewinner in prestigious competitions, she has earned accolades from the MTNA Young Artist Competition, Schubert Club Competition, Chautauqua Piano Competition, and Rosenstock International Piano Competition. She has been featured on Minnesota Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Radio, and Fox9 Minneapolis, with the Star Tribune naming her concerts among the Twin Cities’ “Week’s Best” multiple times.

Dr. Tanaka enjoys an active career as a soloist and chamber musician, performing in distinguished venues such as NHK Osaka Hall and Phoenix Hall in Japan, the Ordway Center in Minnesota, and the Wiener Musikverein in Austria. A passionate chamber musician, she regularly works with instrumentalists and singers, most often performing with her husband, cellist Jesse Nummelin. She has also served as a staff pianist for the Lakes Area Music Festival, South Beach Chamber Ensemble, An Opera Theatre, and various chamber music festivals. Her passion for creating accessible and innovative Classical Music experiences led her to co-direct over ten original ballet productions in collaboration with an award-winning choreographer Ms. Yuki Tokuda, often spotlighting composers of under-represented groups and premiering new works.

Committed to promoting high-quality piano education on an international scale, Dr. Tanaka joined the Frances Clark Center’s International Initiative team as a translator in 2024. As a wellness specialist and registered Yoga teacher, she co-hosted department-wide seminars on topics such as "Performance Anxiety" and "Practice Strategies" at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. She has been invited to lead lectures and workshops at various universities and music festivals, including the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, the University of North Carolina Asheville, the University of Minnesota Duluth, the Saint Paul Chamber Music Institute, and many local chapters of the Music Teachers National Association in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Washington.

Dr. Tanaka currently serves as an Instructor of Piano at the University of Arizona, teaching applied piano, group piano, and chamber music. Previously, she held teaching positions at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Macalester College, MacPhail Center for Music, and Saint Paul Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Tanaka holds a DMA and MM from the University of Minnesota and a BM from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Degrees

• D.M.A. Piano Performance
• University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
• Thesis: “Wellness for Musicians; Blueprint to Your Very Own Injury Prevention Course”