Dr. Mio Aoike
Mio Aoike holds a doctorate in piano performance from the University of Oregon, an MA degree in piano from the University of Southern California, and a BA from Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Her serious training in music started in graduate school, where she studied piano performance and keyboard collaborative arts and served as a graduate teaching fellow in vocal and instrumental studios. She has studied both piano and accompanying with Nellie Tholen, Stewart Gordon, Daniel Pollack, Alan Smith, and Victor Steinhardt.
Aoike spent her early years abroad, participating in international music festivals and studying with teachers in Japan, Jordan, and Venezuela. Since settling in the United States, she has won awards and honors including: semi-finalist at the Portland Chamber Piano Competition, finalist at the Iizuka International Competition in Fukuoka, Japan, and finalist at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.
As a member of the Uchida/Aoike Piano Duo, and winner of the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle competition, she toured throughout Oregon, Washington and Kyoto. She also toured with the Oregon Breeze Chamber Trio. She has appeared as a soloist with the Portland Chamber Orchestra and Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra and participated in master classes of renowned artists, including: Joel Shapiro, David Bar-Illan, and David Shifrin. Aoike collaborates with artists at recitals and competitions organized by Music Teachers National Association, Oregon Music Education Association, and National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Since her appointment at Eastern Oregon University, she has been involved with various student recitals and concerts, including the Chamber Music Series, Missoula Children’s Theater, and EOU musical productions: The Last Five Years, The Phantom of the Opera, and Titanic. She also serves as an online instructor of music where she is constantly challenged by modern computer technology. She is an active member of the Oregon Music Teachers’ Association and was recently appointed chair of the Baroque Festival of the Blue Mountain District.
