Blue Note presents Japanese jazz composer and pianist Hiromi for her Sonicwonderland album release shows at Sony Hall. The new album, which will be released on October 6, features a new quartet, known as Hiromi’s Sonicwonder. Her twelfth album, Sonicwonderland is heavy on synthesizers, and the music video for the title track is inspired by ‘80s video games such as Super Mario Bros.

Tickets

To purchase tickets, please visit Sony Hall’s website. General Admission seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. VIP reservations include guaranteed seating in a designated section. This all-ages show will have a full dinner menu available.

About Hiromi

Ever since the 2003 release of her debut, Another Mind, Hiromi has electrified audiences with a creative energy that encompasses and eclipses the boundaries of jazz, classical, and pop, taking improvisation and composition to new heights of complexity and sophistication. On her album Silver Lining Suite, Hiromi exemplifies her virtuosic hybridity and emotional range, finding strength and hope amidst the turmoil of the pandemic.

Born in Hamamatsu, Japan in 1979, Hiromi’s first piano teacher, Noriko Hikida, exposed Hiromi to jazz and introduced her to the great pianists Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson. She enrolled in the Yamaha School of Music and started writing music.

Hiromi moved to the United States in 1999 and studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Among her mentors was jazz bassist/arranger Richard Evans, who took Hiromi’s demo to his friend, the legendary pianist Ahmad Jamal Evans and Jamal co-produced Another Mind. The album was a critical success in North America and Japan, where it shipped gold and received the Recording Industry Association of Japan’s Jazz Album of the Year Award. Hiromi’s astonishing debut was but a forecast of the shape of jazz to come.

In 2009, she recorded with pianist Chick Corea on Duet, a live recording of their concert in Tokyo. She also appeared on bassist Stanley Clarke’s Grammy-winning release, Jazz in the Garden. Hiromi performed at the opening ceremonies of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with famed kabuki star Ebizo Ichikawa.

Support JapanCulture•NYC by becoming a member! For $5 a month, you’ll help maintain the high quality of our site while we continue to showcase and promote the activities of our vibrant community. Please click here to begin your membership today!

Susan McCormac 6/7/23 Susan McCormac 6/7/23

Klavierhaus to Spotlight Japanese Pianists

Love Letter from Japan

Wednesdays in June at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Klavierhaus – 790 11th Avenue (between 54th and 55th Streets)

Admission: $25 in advance | $30 at the door

Klavierhaus, New York City’s premier fine piano showroom, presents some of the finest Japanese pianists in the world this June.

Produced by Jim Luce and Charles Carlini, the series promises to be a month-long celebration of the deep musical and cultural ties between Japan and New York City.

Each Wednesday in June, with sets at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., you can witness some of the most talented Japanese pianists in New York City, showcasing their unique styles and sounds to create an unforgettable musical experience.

Grab your tickets now at Klavierhaus’s website and immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of Japanese jazz pianists. JapanCulture•NYC.com members will receive a special promo code for a $5 discount. Not a member? Join now by clicking here.

Love Letter from Japan Lineup

June 9 – Miki Hayama

Grammy-nominated pianist Miki Hayama studied jazz piano with the renowned jazz pianist Sadayasu Fujii in Kyoto and came to New York in 2003 after graduating from the Osaka College of Music. She has toured and/or recorded with Roy Hargrove, JD Allen, Kenny Garrett, Vincent Herring, Christian McBride, Ralph Peterson, Greg Osby, Mark Shim, and others. She is featured in a rare solo piano setting at Klavierhaus at 7:30 p.m.

June 14 – Yayoi Ikawa

As a composer and arranger, Yayoi Ikawa received commissions from Modern Music Society of Tokyo, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and Montreal-based sculptor David Baumflek. She is a veteran of bands led by Reggie Workman, Michael Carvin, Howard Johnson, Michal Urbaniak, Butch Morris, Craig Harris, Lenny Pickett, Frank Lacy, Lonnie Plaxico, Fostina Dixon, and others. She is featured in a rare solo piano setting at 6:00 p.m.

June 21 – Toru Dodo

Grammy-nominated pianist Toru Dodo was born in Tokyo and started playing classical piano at age four. In 1995, after graduating Meiji University in Tokyo, he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and graduated summa cum laude in 1998. Following his graduation from Berklee, Dodo moved to New York. Dodo has released five solo albums, all produced by legendary guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo for the Japanese label Jazz City Spirits. He has performed with Kenny Garrett, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, Louis Hayes, Ruth Brown, and Terumasa Hino, among others. At this concert, he will be joined by special guest singer Alicia Olatuja.

June 28 – Miki Yamanaka

Japanese-born pianist Miki Yamanaka has called New York City home since 2012 and in the past decade has wasted no time establishing herself as one of the leading personalities of her generation on the piano and beyond. Critics laud her “light, expressive touch and solidly crafted, mainstream approach” (Mike Jurkovic in All About Jazz), while audiences delight in not only her playing, but her vibrant personality as well. Yamanaka has gained international recognition from her albums as a leader; her most recent and most intimate release, Stairway to the Stars, features Jazz masters Mark Turner and Orlando le Fleming. Additionally, Yamanaka has emerged as a leader of the New York Scene via her notable residencies at mainstay West Village sister clubs Smalls and Mezzrow. During the pandemic, she developed a successful in-home live-streaming weekly concert series titled “Miki’s Mood,” where she features a veritable who’s who of NYC talent (including her husband and frequent collaborator, drummer Jimmy Macbride). The series showcases her vast knowledge of Jazz standards and tunes, often featuring themed offerings of various composers from both the Great American Songbook as well as iconic Jazz composers.

“Our Japanese Jazz Piano Series is a celebration of the deep musical and cultural ties between Japan and New York City. We are thrilled to bring together some of the most talented Japanese pianists in the city to share their unique musical perspectives with audiences."
— Jim Luce

About the Series

The Japanese Jazz Piano Series is the inaugural event of the new weekly Klavierhaus Wednesday Night Concert Series, which features curated sets of today’s most interesting pianists in jazz today. It is a must-see event for anyone who loves jazz music. Whether you're a longtime fan of Japanese jazz or simply looking for a night of great music, this series promises to deliver an unforgettable experience.

HIROMI AT SONY HALL

Hiromi’s Sonicwonder