Praised as an “outstanding pianist...unfailingly crisp, warm and sensitive” (Showtime Magazine, Toronto), Kanae Matsumoto is a versatile pianist, having extensively diversified her repertoire from solo, chamber to vocal music.

Kanae currently resides in New York City and works with classical singers.  She is a vocal coach and artistic staff at Manhattan School of Music as well as at the Chautauqua School of Music and at Classical Singing in New York in June.  She is also a founding member of M&M Piano Duo, with Canadian pianist Martin Dubé. 

Before focusing on the collaboration with singers, she was a sought-after chamber musician in Los Angeles and appeared in numerous recitals and concerts including the chamber music concert series with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Chamber Society at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Highlights of her collaborative performances include the recitals with the late Jacques Israelievitch, former concert master of Toronto Symphony, performing the complete Beethoven Violin Sonatas and the complete Brahms Violin and Viola Sonatas.  With Mr. Israelievich, she also released a CD “French Violin Sonatas” (works by Pierné, Debussy, Poulenc, and Ravel) from the Fleur de Son Classics/Naxos label.

As a solo pianist, she has performed internationally, in the United States, Italy, Germany, Russia, and Japan.  She was a featured soloist at the World Design Expo at her home town Nagoya, Japan (2005).  In addition to the modern piano, she is also interested in performance practice of historical instruments and recorded works by the classical and romantic composers including Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin on their period instruments in collaboration with Robert Portillo, instrument restoration specialist in Los Angeles.

In addition to the historical performance, Ms. Matsumoto is passionate about collaborating with living composers.  She has worked with many composers including John Williams, Paul Chihara, Lori Laitman, and Ben Moore. 

Ms. Matsumoto completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance at Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music in Nagoya, Japan.  To continue her studies, she moved to Los Angeles and earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of California Los Angeles. After graduation, she was invited to join the faculty of the University and taught there for 7 years.  In 2013 she relocated herself to NYC, where she now enjoys her professional and personal journeys.  Her important teachers have included Vitaly Margulis and Marlena Malas.                                       Updated on August 23, 2021