Mutsumi Moteki’s path to becoming a vocal coach and pianist seemed destined, as she always loved singing and studying languages. She began learning classical songs in Italian, German, and Japanese by accompanying a friend in high school in Tokyo, Japan. She majored in piano at Kunitachi College of Music, known for its excellent voice program, and was soon hired as a rehearsal pianist by a voice professor who had just returned from Vienna, where he had studied German Lieder. She also worked with a voice studio that specialized in French songs.

In 1985, Dr. Moteki came to the United States to study vocal accompanying with the late Dalton Baldwin at Westminster Choir College, spending a year as a non-degree student. Inspired by Baldwin, the late Dr. Glenn Parker, and other mentors, she stayed an additional year to earn her master’s degree. She then continued her studies with Martin Katz at the University of Michigan, where she completed her D.M.A. degree. After teaching diction courses at Michigan for two years, she moved to Colorado and taught at the University of Colorado Boulder for 31 years, retiring as Professor Emerita in May 2025.

As a collaborative pianist, she has appeared in countless voice recitals across the U.S., Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Mexico, Macedonia, Sweden, Brazil, and Germany. As a vocal coach, she draws on decades of diction teaching experience, blending her love of poetry with her dedication to cultivating beautiful legato singing. She has presented master classes for singers and pianists in the U.S., Egypt, Brazil, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and was a featured master-class presenter at the 2017 NATS Summer Workshop.

A passionate advocate for art songs from Japan and other East Asian countries, Dr. Moteki frequently shares this repertoire in lecture-recitals and workshops worldwide. With Dr. Kumiko Shimizu, she co-created the Japanese Art Song Anthology, Volumes 1 and 2, published by Classical Vocal Reprints.

Equally committed to mentoring the next generation of vocal coaches and collaborative pianists, she presented a lecture titled “Becoming a Vocal Coach” at the International Collaborative Piano Literature Symposium at Tainan National University of the Arts in 2011. In 2012, she co-translated Martin Katz’s book The Complete Collaborator: The Pianist as Partner into Japanese, and in 2021 she published the article “Lessons from a Genius: A Tribute to Glenn Parker” in the NATS Journal of Singing. 

In 2026, Dr. Moteki will join La Musica Lirica as Director of the Collaborative Artists Division, continuing her legacy of artistry, mentorship, and global impact.