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MASANOBU IKEMIYA

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Profile: Classical pianist, ragtime aficionado, peace activist, organic farmer.

Masanobu Ikemiya was born in China to Japanese parents, grew up in Kyoto and Kansas, and was educated at Oberlin College Conservatory and Indiana University, and has received world-wide attention for his many concerts throughout Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Taiwan, Cambodia, Philippines, Bulgaria, El Salvador, the former Soviet Union, Portugal, Brazil, Guam, Hawaii, India, Korea, Canada, and the United States. In 1972, he came to Maine to join the Zen Buddhist Monastery near Surry Hills

where he was a practicing monk for 10 years. In 1980, he founded the Arcady Festival Music, of which he was the artistic director for 24 years. Many of you may have had the opportunity to attend some of his performances, or have seen or heard him on Public Television or Public Radio.

Mr. Ikemiya developed an interest in American ragtime music while volunteering at a homeless shelter started by Mother Teresa in Harlem. He has made 5 ragtime CD’s and was nominated for a Grammy Award for the album, “Ragtime Classics” in 1994. He certainly has given “new life” to this American Art Form. Since 1995, he has toured annually in Japan with members of the New York Philharmonic and with the New York Ragtime Orchestra of which he is the founder-leader-pianist. He also appeared with them at the 50th Anniversary Gala Celebration at the United Nations and received an award from the UN for promoting world peace through music.

Mr. Ikemiya has appeared in solo recitals at New York’s Lincoln Center and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., and other venues.

With the invitation from Peace & Justice Center-E Maine, Mr. Ikemiya has honored the anniversaries of Hiroshima by giving concerts in memory of the bomb victims and to promote peace in our world.

In recognition of this peacemaking quality of his work, he has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards. The Philharmonic Society of Kaugan, Russia, presented Mr. Ikemiya with an Honorary Certificate for strengthening the friendship between Siberian and American people through music.

In addition, Mr. Ikemiya received an Official Recognition Award from the Maine State Senate for his “contribution to the cultural life of the state.”

He has stated that he and his wife Tomoko are presently trying to simplify their lives. They are enjoying a self-sustaining life style with organic farming at their permaculture homestead with a passive solar house on Mt. Desert Island, Maine. Mr. Ikemiya’s teacher was the late Frank Glazer, who he considers to be the most life changing influence on his piano playing.

Ragtime

Audiences’ enthusiasm for his ragtime performances, led Ikemiya to found the New York Ragtime Orchestra in 1995. Ikemiya is credited with introducing ragtime to Japan, and tours the country with his orchestra regularly, recently performing at the Osaka Dome for 47,000 people. He is frequently invited to perform at various ragtime festivals include the Scott Joplin Festival (Sedalia, Missouri) and has recorded seven ragtime albums including “Ragtime Classics”.

Artistic Director

During his 24 years as Artistic Director of the Arcady Music Festival (which he founded in 1980), Ikemiya had to opportunity to bring artists of incredible diversity and talent from around the world to the scenic coastal towns of Northern Maine. In 1990 he brought the St. Petersburg Boys choir to the festival to perform with a local children's choir which formed powerful bonds in the wake of the Cold War. His work for Arcady was featured on CBS Sunday Morning and he received an award from the Maine State Senate for his “contribution to the cultural life of the state.”

Peace Activist

In recognition of the peacemaking quality of his work, Ikemiya has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards. He was given an award by the United Nations for “Promoting World Peace”; the Philharmonic Society of Krugan, Siberia, presented Mr. Ikemiya with an Honorary Certificate for strengthening the friendship between Siberian and American people through music. Ikemiya is invited annually by the Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine to give a concert on the anniversary of Hiroshima in memory of the bomb victims and to promote a message of peace.

Background

Ikemiya was born in China to Japanese parents, grew up in Kyoto and then later moved with his family to Kansas. He studied at Oberlin Conservatory (B.M.) and Indiana University (M.M.). He lives with his wife on Mount Desert Island, Maine in a passive solar house where they enjoy organic farming on their permaculture homestead, volunteer work and music. Read more about their self-sustaining