Japanese pianist Misaki Saito was born in Toyota, Aichi, Japan and began playing the piano at eight years old. When she was sixteen, she received a merit scholarship and was awarded the R. Graham Keevil Memorial Scholarship to study abroad at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. She also received full scholarship to complete her Bachelor’s Degree at Lynn University Conservatory of Music. Dr. Saito holds a Masters of Music and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. During her doctoral studies, she also minored in music theory, instrumental conducting and arts leadership, and completed the degree summa cum laude. Misaki’s primary mentors include eminent musicians Daniel Pollack, Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Roberta Rust, Michael Coonrod, and Larry Livingston.

Dr. Saito has had the honor of performing in established venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall and Steinway Hall, and has performed in many parts of the world, including Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Russia. Aside from her solo career, Misaki is also an active chamber musician and collaborator, receiving USC’s prestigious Keyboard Collaborative Award in 2017 for her extensive collaborative services to the school. She just completed a summer position as faculty member and artist-in-residence for Sitka Fine Arts Camp in Alaska. She has recorded for several films; the Annie Award winning movie “Nice to Meteor You” and Chinese film “Insomnia” where her interpretation of Bach’s infamously challenging Goldberg Variations was the main theme. Misaki has also collaborated with artist Cécilia Tsan and the popular YouTube piano group, Super Piano Brothers.

Dr. Saito maintains a teaching career in Los Angeles and is experienced in teaching students of all ages and levels. She strongly believes that music exists in our inner spirit; feelings that cannot be expressed with words are still conceivable through the sounds of music. Music-making is not only a skill, but also a life enriching element and a great tool that brings forth every individual’s unique voice. For the development of this ability, self-confidence and self-discovery is essential. One must also attain a deeper understanding and knowledge of the music that they are playing, such as theory, harmony, history, literature, structure, and other theoretical elements. All components are connected and intertwined, and they collectively bring up one’s musicianship to a new level. Artistry and poetry lives in all of us, but without a foundation built through knowledge and technique, that part cannot shine. Dr. Saito’s goal for her students is to be entrepreneurial in their quest for excellence, and to equip themselves with knowledge and inspiration so that they will be able to express themselves with their artistic voices.

In addition to performing and teaching the piano, Dr. Saito has a variety of creative interests and was professionally trained in ballet, figure-ice skating, Japanese traditional dance, voice, musical theatre, aviation, and mountain climbing. As a Japanese dancer, she was invited to teach as a guest lecturer at the Harvard Summer School Program in 2021 and 2022. She is also the founder and artistic director of heARTists, a collaborative platform where survivors of painful experiences collaborate with artists to transform stories of trauma, abuse, and injustice into works of art, compassion, and empowerment. Dr. Saito strives to transform and heal the world through art and was awarded the $10,000 Artists For World Change Grant Yusaku Maezawa and Mago Nagasaka in May 2021 to further the organization’s mission and vision.

Misaki is an excellent photographer and has been a certified contributor for Getty Images since 2015. Her photos were chosen and printed on the TABIPPO Summer Landscape postcards, which were sold all throughout Japan via Tokyu Hands, LOFT, and Village Vanguard. Her published photos can be found through platforms such as 1x, Adobe Stock, and 500px.