Ellen Masaki

{{Short description|American music teacher and pianist (1928–2009)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

File:Ellen Masaki.jpg

Ellen Masaki (née Kimura, 1928–2009) was an American music teacher and pianist.{{Cite news |last=Aguiar |first=Eloise |date=September 10, 2009 |title=Ellen Masaki, acclaimed piano teacher |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-advertiser-ellen-masaki-a/168324943/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Moon |first=Jade |date=September 16, 2009 |title=A Tribute To Legendary Ellen Masaki |url=https://archives.midweek.com/content/columns/moonlighting_article/a_tribute_to_legendary_ellen_masaki/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=MidWeek}}{{Cite web |date=January 20, 2010 |title=Waimea, HI (Episode 209) |url=https://fromthetop.org/show/waimea-hi-209/ |website=From the Top |publisher=National Public Radio}} During her sixty-year career, she taught nearly 3,000 children in Hawaii, including concert pianists Sean Kennard and Lisa Nakamichi.{{Cite news |last=Chun |first=Gary C. W. |date=September 9, 2009 |title=Many isle musicians first learned joy of music from acclaimed piano teacher |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-many-isle-musicia/168325231/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Arab |first=Zahid |date=September 10, 2009 |orig-date=September 9, 2009 |title=Legendary musician and teacher Ellen Masaki dies |url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/11096410/legendary-musician-and-teacher-ellen-masaki-dies/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Hawaii News Now}}{{Cite news |date=October 8, 2009 |title=Blaisdell concert will honor piano teacher Ellen Masaki |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-advertiser-blaisdell-conce/168325538/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Gee |first=Pat |date=May 29, 2009 |title=Musical Inspiration: A self-taught pianist with Tourette's syndrome earns his way into the UH music school |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-musical-inspirati/168325420/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |via=Newspapers.com}} She also ran the Ellen Masaki School of Music, which had an estimated 45,000 students over fifty years.{{Cite news |last=Arcayna |first=Nancy |date=May 13, 2003 |title=Musical memoir: Thousands of students have learned piano at Ellen Masaki's hands |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-musical-memoir/168327883/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |via=Newspapers.com}}

Masaki was recognized by the Music Teachers National Association as Teacher of the Year in 2000.{{Cite journal |date=June–July 2000 |title=NATIONAL: Association News |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/43549066 |journal=American Music Teacher |volume=49 |issue=6 |pages=82–84 |jstor=3549066}} She was the first recipient of the award. Composer Tobias Picker was commissioned by the Honolulu Symphony to write his Piano Concerto No. 3: Kilauea, which he dedicated to Masaki, and which she premiered in 1988.{{Cite web |title=Piano Concerto No. 3: Kilauea |url=https://tobiaspicker.com/piano/piano-concerto-no-3-kilauea |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Tobias Picker}}{{Cite news |last=Maltby |first=Joseph |date=January 11, 1988 |title=Picker's premiere 'splendid' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-pickers-premiere/168327027/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |via=Newspapers.com}}