Videos by Motoki Tanaka

Motoki's mother Aya Tanaka, an amateur pianist, took him to a Suzuki Method violin school in Fukuoka, Japan, where he began his violin study at the young age four. When he was only eight years old, Motoki toured as the youngest soloist in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK with the Suzuki group, and went on to complete the entire Suzuki program before he turned twelve. He was a frequent guest soloist at workshops, master classes, and performances at the National Suzuki Method Conference in Nagano, Japan. In high school, Motoki led the Fukuoka Youth Orchestra as a concertmaster at the National High School Orchestra Competition for three years, where they won the grand prize in all three years.

Motoki attended University of North Texas in Denton, Texas from 2001-2004 and studied composition with Dr. Joseph Klein, violin performance with Dr. Igor Borodin, and conducting with Maestro Anshel Brusilow. Motoki came to Boston in 2004 to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he majored in Orchestral Conducting and Film Scoring. In the school known for its prestigious Jazz program, Motoki spent most of his time studying orchestral conducting with Maestro David Callahan and building his repertoire. Motoki conducted many ensembles at Berklee College of Music, and often premiered new works by his fellow composers.

While earning Bachelor of Music degree in 2007, Motoki founded Boston String Players, an unique cross-college, non-profit, non-auditioned string ensemble, which consists of students, alumni, and faculties of Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory, Boston University, Longy School of Music, New England Conservatory, University of Massachusetts Boston, and Tufts University. His mission with BSP is to create an opportunity for his fellow string players to perform music in a chamber ensemble setting while keeping the flexibility and spontaneity of string quartets, as well as to collaborate with artists outside of music field. The unique environment of -Athens of America- Boston has allowed him to bring together over a hundred of young musicians and art lovers of all background in only one year so far. Motoki has been leading more than a hundred of talented and dedicated young musicians with his passion to perform music together, and to bring new and younger audience into the Classical Music scene.

Motoki is an active and celebrated solo, chamber, and orchestral violinist, as well a teacher and a coach. He currently teaches violin lessons at Suzuki Institute of Boston, where he shares his love for music with young children.