Profile

Japan-born Junko Ueno Garrett has captivated audiences around the world with her colorful tone, poetry, expressiveness, dynamic technique, and wide range of repertoire. She began playing piano at the age of three, trained at the prestigious Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo studying under Professor Hiroshi Miura, and received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music studying under Professor John Perry in the United States. Junko received “The Japanese Consul General’s Award” for her contributions to international relations and understanding between countries. She was chosen to tour to celebrate the 150 years of Us-Japan relationship and the 125 years of the Brazil-Japan relationship.

After numerous online performances during the pandemic, she is happy to be back in-person concerts. Junko started the 2021-22 season with a solo concert for “Fêtes Corréziennes En Musique” in France, and received a wonderful review on La Montagne. As an artistic director and founder, she coordinates and performs concerts at the 3rd@1st concert series in Los Angeles. In the 2021-22 season, she performed “Reopening Celebration Concert” in October, “Joy of Chamber Music” and “Chamber Music Encore” with LA Phil friends in November and January, and “Piano Concert: Stories in Music” in March. Her mission is to bring young musicians and community groups to the 3rd@1st, and this season, MTNA/CAPMT competition winners performed  in February. She frequently performs for Music at Noon in Pasadena, and KOT Concert in Santa Monica. 

She will perform a solo concert at Kawai “Pause” Salon Hall in Tokyo in November, 2022. In the 3rd@1st 2022-23 season, she will perform at “Schubertiade” including solo and chamber music with LA Phil friends  in October, solo concert “My Obsession: Robert Schumann and His Stories” in February“, “4 Hands on 1 Piano: All American Program” with Vicki Ray, and “Joy of Chamber Music: Woman Composers” with LA Phil friends. 

She launched a weekly piano lesson video in Japanese on Youtube in July, 2020, and she has been receiving much acclaim. She continues producing a new video weekly and enjoys connecting with piano lovers in the Japanese speaking community (youtube channel junko ueno garrett). Junko enjoys sharing blogs and photos at this site. 

Under the culture exchange program of the Japan Foundation, Japanese Embassies and Consulate Generals of Japan she has toured South and Central America in 2018, 2015, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2002, and 1999, including Brazil (Mozart Concerto No. 23 with Orquestra de EMBAP), Venezuela (Saint-Saens Concerto No. 2 with Orquesta Sinfonica Venezuela under Alfredo Rugeles), Ecuador (Chopin Concerto No. 2 with Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Ecuador under Medardo Caisabanda), Colombia’s Teatro Colón and Boyacá International Cultural Festival, Rio de Janeiro’s Musica no Museu at Mosteiro de Sao Bento, Brazil-Curitiba’s Capela Santa Maria, Argentina’s Teatro Gran Rex, Brasilia’s Teatro da Caixa, Peru’s Sociedad Filarmonica, Uruguay’s Auditorio Carlos Vaz Ferreira and Teatro Miguel Young, Costa Rica’s Teatro Eugene O’Neill, El Salvador’s Teatros Nacionals des San Salvador and Santa Ana, Cuba’s Basilica Menor del Convento, Chile’s Centro Cultural Las Condes, and Mexico City. In 2018 and 2016 she toured the East Coast and Midwest of the U. S. under the Japan Foundation’s culture program.

Her other engagements include performances at Radio France; French Festivals in Turenne, Chambre and Treignac; Le Chateau de Sedieres; Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center; New York’s UN, Charles Wang Center and Flushing Town Hall; Boston’s Berklee College; San Francisco’s Japan Center; Kansas City’s Carlsen Center; Denver’s King Academic Performing Arts Center; Salt Lake City’s Libby Gardner Concert Hall; Tampa’s Carrollwood Cultural Center; Georgia’s Falany Performing Arts Center; Houston’s Texas Music Festival; Tucson; Indiana; Fairbanks; Philadelphia; Atlanta; Idaho Falls; Shreveport…. In the summers of 2009 and 2007, at the invitation of the U.S. State Department, Junko toured in Japan as part of the Belrose Duo, performing and lecturing on American music in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Okinawa, Sapporo, Tottori, and Fukuoka. Other activities include concert tours to India introducing Western Music to Indian audiences. She often gives masterclasses where she performs, and gives recitals at universities.

She is a president of Pasadena Chapter of Music Teachers National Association and a frequent adjudicator for MTNA, CAPMT, MTAC, Southern California Junior Bach Festival, and Southwestern Youth Music Festival. She is a program coordinator of the Third@First Concert Series in Los Angeles. Junko holds a faculty position at Occidental College, and is a chamber music coach for Junior Chamber Music. She is a Kawai artist and lives in Los Angeles. Junko is a passionate Sumo advocate and a founder of the Los Angeles Sumo Fan Club.