The goal of the Kurosawa Piano Music Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is to build an endowment and to implement various programs such as concerts for young artists, concerts by world-class artists, master classes, workshops, and scholarships. KPMF intends to build an online library of valuable and useful piano ensemble music from around the world.

Board of Directors

Alex KurAlex Kurosawa, Presidentosawa heads up the KPMF as President, together with the Board of Directors. He brings in broad experience in starting and managing both profit and non-profit ventures. His for-profit executive experience was built in both public and private companies, such as VLSI Technology, IKOS Systems, and Sonics. He is currently General Partner, Start-up101 Ventures, a venture fund for technology start-ups. He co-founded a non-profit organization in Japan to mentor entreprenuers and angelm investors. He now serves as a Board member at Kiwanis Cub of San Jose. His technology background will help building a library of piano ensemble music utilizing multimedia communications. His investment experience will be instrumental in building and managing an endowment. He maintains passion for children education and a five-decade long love for piano music.

Dr. Sondra Clark, is a graduate of The Julliard School (B.M.) and Stanford University (Ph.D) Dr. Sondra Clark, Director of the Boardand was a long-time member of the Music Faculty at San Jose State University. She received many awards for her music, which ranges from solo to duet/duo to symphonic works, including ASCAP awards for the last six years. Her works are premiered and recorded in Russia and the US. Her experience as master class teacher, composer for duo/duet pieces and duo pianist will play a key role in helping young artists and the Silicon Valley community in discovering and exploring and performing the rich repertoire of piano ensemble music.

Greg LandersGreg Landers, Secretary, was raised in New York City and received BS Accounting in 1973 from Villanova University in Pennsylvania. He served United States Navy / Naval Reserve from 1973 and retired as Captain, United States Navy, in 1996. Since 1990, he has been actively serving South Bay Area in volunteering for many community projects and taking key officer and Board positions, such as Chairman, Kiwanis International Foundation, California-Nevada-Hawaii District, and Lieutenant Governer for Kiwanis Division 12 (Silicon Valley Area.) He brings in passion for serving the youth through music, and experience to operate and govern non-profit organizations. He is an owner of State Farm Insurance Agency from 1987. 
 

David WestDavid West is a seasoned execeutive who is experienced in senior management and marketing with P&L responsibility. He has raised funds from venture capital, corporate, and angel investors. He as CEO attracted top talent, built and motivated teams in high growth environments. He demonstrated proven abilities in creative leadership, marketing, engineering, strategic partnering and financial management. He brings in twenty-five years experience in the software industry including security, Internet/Intranet, workflow management, multimedia solutions, and communications. He will play a key role in developing an online piano ensemble library, which streamlines the work flow for musicians to evaluate and exchange interesting music works from around the world.  

YYoko Kurosawa: Director of the Boardoko Kurosawa is a graduate of Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo with a couple of degrees; a Bachelor of Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education. She also studied with Machi Adachi for her voice. She will oversee education programs based on her extensive teaching experience in Japan for 13 years and in the US for 17 years. Also being a duo pianist, an accompanist, an organist, a church pianist and a soprano singer, she has been coaching her students with emphasis on teamwork in piano ensemble music as well.

Executive Board Member

Dr. Gwendolyn MokDr. Gwendolyn Mok, the head of the keyboard department at San Jose State University, was born in New York. Ms. Mok has appeared in many of the world's leading concert halls including The Barbican, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center. In his 90th year, Vlado Perlemuter chose Mok to be the last student to whom he would pass on his knowledge of Ravel. Since 1995, Mok has been performing Ravel's works in recital and was invited to teach these works at the Royal College of Music, Welsh College of Music, The Dartington International Summer School in Devon, and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Ms. Mok performs piano duo works with her partners such as Namik Sultanov. Gwendolyn serves as an Executive Board member by contributing her exceptional artistic experience, event management, and support for fundraising projects. She joined the Board in August, 2008.

Business Advisors

Chris Hepp
Dr. Christopher Hepp gained a national reputation as pianist, lecturer, and author during his twenty-year tenure as Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Kansas. He has conducted numerous multi-piano concerts in Missouri and Kansas for local and state chapters of the Music Teachers National Association. In 1993 and 1994 he inaugurated the multi-piano concert sponsored by the Kansas City Music Teachers Association featuring over 200 piano students of every age and performed annually on sixteen grand pianos at the Lied Center on the University of Kansas campus.

Bob Lopresto is Managing Partner of the Retained Executive Search Practice at Duran Human Capital Partners. Bob. serves clients in a broad range from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. He has participated in placing over 1,000 senior executives in his 49 years in executive search and corporate human resources management. He chaired the board for the Committee for Jazz at Stanford University. He also served on the Board of Trustees at the Montalvo Center for the Arts and the San Jose Symphony. Bob will help recruiting wealthy individuals and corporate sponsors out of his broad network. He resides in Saratoga. He joined as Business Advisor in September, 2008.

Artistic Advisors

Vivian FungVivian Fung began her professional composition career at age nineteen and built up an impressive body of compositions commissioned and performed by such ensembles as the Seattle Symphony, San José Chamber Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, New England Philharmonic, American String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Music From China, and American Opera Projects, to name a few. Her compositions range from orchestral, chamber, piano, vocal/choral, and opera pieces. Being well informed about the state of the art, her unique ideas and insight about two piano music composition will help us discovering and exploring the transforming beauty of the piano ensemble music further more.  

Chih-Long Hu

Chih-Long Hu has received numerous honors including winning the Taipei Philharmonic Piano competition, the National Taipei Concert Hall Arising Star, and the prestigious Chi-Mei Artist Award. He has won prizes at the Russian Music International Piano Competition in San Jose, California as well as in Italy, Andorra and Japan. Hu received his Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from the University of Michigan under the instruction of Arthur Greene. Hu has performed as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician extensively in Asia, Europe, and North America. Hu is currently on the faculty of East Tennessee State University.

Establishing the Foundation

We are looking for funding for long-term to build the foundation for the piano ensemble music education and awareness, community development and library establishment. If you are interested in being a part of this exciting project, please contact us.

Foundation Architects $25,000 - $49,999
Foundation Columns $50,000 - $99,999
Foundation Beams $100,000 - $249,999
Foundation Arches $250,000 - $499,999
Foundation Keystones $500,000 - $999,999

Foundation Cornerstones $1,000,000

We are constructing the Governing Board of up to 25 members in order to represent the interest of the public and to maintain certain governing functions, such as audit committee, compensation committee, recruiting committee, fund raising committee, and governance committee. We would welcome experienced executives or experts on corporate issues to establish the foundation of the public foundation. Please contact us for further discussion.