Michiko Yurko

Director and CEO

michiko%204-2021-2

  • Degrees: B.M. in Piano Performance and M.M in Music Theory (ABT) from Ohio University
  • Current Position: Music Mind Games, Creator; Independent Suzuki Piano Teacher
  • Location: Kensington, Maryland

Michiko Yurko is the founder and owner of Music Mind Games, LLC and founder of the Music Mind Games nonprofit organization. She is the author of Music Mind Games (Warner Bro. Pub. Inc. 1992), Musopoly, and No H in Snake: Music Theory for Children (Alfred 1979), and joint author of Teaching Suzuki Piano: Ten Teachers Viewpoints. She created the games for Music Mind Games, the materials and curriculum for the Puppy Packet and Panda Packs, and most recently published Music Mind Games - Unit 1.

As a teacher for 47 years, Michiko has worked with both youth and music educators. Michiko was on the faculty at the Levine School of Music from 1994 to 2006, where she was founder and chair of the Suzuki Piano and Music Mind Games departments. She has an independent piano studio and is a piano teacher trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Michiko has been holding workshops for music teachers since 1974.

Michiko received her undergraduate music degree in piano performance and did her master's work in music theory at Ohio University. Her professor was the distinguished pianist/educator George Katz (Julliard), whose lineage includes Raieff (Julliard), Siloti (Rachmaninoff's cousin), Liszt, Czerny, and Beethoven. She is featured in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Education, and Who's Who in American Women. Michiko has three grown children, three grandchildren, and a service dog named Zoli.