Miwa Sugiyama

BM Instrumental Performance - Piano
Class of 2009

Miwa Sugiyama, 22-years-old, was born in Tokyo and is in her fourth year at Chapman University majoring in piano performance. She started her piano studies at age 4 and also studied music theory, ensemble, composition and arranging with Mrs. Rie Atarashi for 9 years.

Miwa came to United States in 2002 and soon became a piano student of Mr. Edwin Deveny. She has studied with Dr. Joseph Matthews, Dr. Anna Grinberg and Dr. Louise Thomas at Chapman University. She studied with Dr. Antoinette Perry at Aspen Music Festival and School in summer 2007.

In 1999 Miwa played her composition at YAMAHA Junior Original Concert in Tokyo, Japan. In 2003 she was a winner in Bach Festival as well as first place winner of the Japan Musicians Association Competition. In 2003 and 2004, she was a winner in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival. In 2005 she received the A-Muse scholarship award. The Asia America Youth Orchestra performed Miwa's composition and she was awarded 1st prize in their composition competition in 2005. She won 2nd alternate in MTAC State Solo Competition (Southern
Region) in 2006.

Miwa began playing the French horn at age 12. She performed with the Toho Girls School Orchestra (Japan), the Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Orchestra (CA) and the Chapman University Wind Symphony.
She is particularly pleased with her performances in a viola/clarinet/piano trio.

The following awards and honors have been bestowed upon Miwa over the past few years: The Piano Award of Conservatory of Music, The Fedderman Scholarship (2007-2008), and The Leberace Scholarship (2006-2007). She was a winner of Music Teachers Association of California "Adult Performance" and also granted a five-year membership in Young Composers Guild.