Miho Hazama

Japanese jazz composer and arranger (1986-)

Composer
arranger
conductor

Years active2012–presentLabels

Verve
Sunnyside

Websitejamrice.co.jp/miho/index.html

Musical artist

Miho Hazama (挾間美帆, Hazama Miho) is a Tokyo-born composer and jazz musician, based in New York City.^[2]^[3]

Early life and career

Miho Hazama started to play electric keyboard at the age of three at Yamaha Music Foundation's School, and received attention when she proceeded to the final of Junior Electone Concours '96 at the age of ten.^[4]

Hazama attended and graduated the Kunitachi College of Music, where she studied classical composition from Masakazu Natsuda and Kazunori Maruyama [ja]. While in the college, she was active in composition and arrangement, and provided her works to Yōsuke Yamashita, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra, Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Siena Wind Orchestra [ja] and Yamaha Symphonic Band [ja].^[1]

In 2010, Hazama moved to New York City to study jazz composition in master's program of Manhattan School of Music (MSM).^[1] While attending, she studied under Jim McNeely, and received 2011 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards.^[5] Hazama obtained her master's degree in May 2012 and recorded her first album Journey to Journey in July 2012.^[6] Yōsuke Yamashita produced her professional debut event in January 2013, held at Tokyo Opera City Tower.^[7]

In May 2017, Hazama became a composer in residence of Siena Wind Orchestra.^[8] She was the 2018-2019 composer of the year for the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa.^[9]

In June 2019, Hazama was appointed as chief conductor of Danish Radio Big Band.^[10] She is also the Associate Artistic Director of The New York Jazzharmonic.^[11]

In August 2020, Hazama became a permanent guest conductor of The Metropole Orkest.^[12]

Awards and honors

2011: ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards^[5]
2013: Jazz Japan Award 2012: "Jazz Japan Album of the year / Rising star category" for Journey to Journey^[13]^[14]
2014: 24th (FY 2013) Idemitsu Music Award [ja]^[15]
2015: BMI 16th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize for “Somnambulant"^[16]
2016: DownBeat magazine: “25 for the Future”^[17]

Discography

As band leader

Journey to Journey with m_unit (Universal Music/Verve, 2012; Sunnyside, 2013)^[18]
Time River with m_unit (Verve & Sunnyside, 2015)^[19]
The Monk: Live at Bimhuis with Metropole Orkest Big Band (Verve & Sunnyside, 2018)^[20]
Dancer in Nowhere with m_unit (Verve, 2018; Sunnyside, 2019)^[21]
Marius Neset, Tributes with Danish Radio Big Band (ACT Music, 2020)^[22]
Imaginary Visions featuring The Danish Radio Big Band (Edition, 2021)^[23]
Beyond Orbits with m_unit (Edition, 2023)^[24]

Selective compositions and arrangements

Yōsuke Yamashita, Yutaka Sado "Yōsuke Yamashita: Piano Concerto No.3 EXPLORER" orchestration in Explorer×Sudden Fiction (Avex Classics, 2008) - with Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Shirō Sagisu, Shiro SAGISU Music from "EVANGELION:3.0" YOU CAN (NOT) REDO. [ja] (Starchild, 2012) – soundtrack orchestration of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo
Ryuichi Sakamoto, "0322 C# Minor", "Trace", "After All" arrangements in Playing The Orchestra 2013, (commmons, 2013)
Yōsuke Yamashita, Yutaka Sado and Siena Wind Orchestra [ja], "Mr.O" composition, "Yōsuke Yamashita: Piano Concerto No.1 ENCOUNTER for Improviser, 4th movement" arrangement in Rhapsody in Blue (Avex Classics, 2014)
Junko Onishi, "The Intersection" composition in Tea Times (Sony/Taboo, 2016)
Junko Onishi, "Willow Song (from Otello)" arrangement in Very Special (Sony/Taboo, 2017)
Raul Midón, "Everyone Deserves A Second Chance" arrangement in If You Really Want (Artistry Music, 2018)
Miki Imai, "Shiawase-ni-naritai (幸せになりたい)" arrangement in Classic Ivory 35th Anniversary Orchestral Best (Universal Music Japan, 2020)
Christian Sands, "Be Water II" arrangement in Be Water (Mack Avenue, 2020)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Miho Hazama Biography" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. February 14, 2011. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
^ Hadfield, James (2017-08-31). "Miho Hazama will celebrate 100 years of jazz at Tokyo Jazz Festival performance". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
^ Smith, Sean (2013-01-23). "Miho Hazama starts a journey". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
^ "ジュニアエレクトーンコンクール '96 全日本大会" [Junior Electone Concours '96 All Japan Final] (in Japanese). Yamaha Music Foundation. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
^ ^a ^b "ASCAP Announces 31 Recipients of the 2011 Young Jazz Composer Awards". New Music USA. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
^ Mitsutaka Nagira (2015-09-29). "ジャズ・オーケストラの可能性を更新する新作『Time River』の背景を挾間美帆が明かす【〈越境〉するプレイヤーたち】第3回（後編）" [Miho Hszama explained about the background of her new album Time River which alters potential of jazz orchestra. Cross-border players Part 3] (in Japanese). Mikiki. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
^ "東京オペラシティ・ニューイヤー・ジャズ・コンサート2013: 山下洋輔プロデュース挾間美帆のジャズ作曲家宣言！" [Tokyo Opera City New Year Jazz Concert 2013: Miho Hazama debut announcement as a jazz composer! produced by Yōsuke Yamashita]. Tokyo Opera City (in Japanese). 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
^ "挾間美帆" [Miho Hazama]. Siena Wind Orchestra (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-03-04.
^ "Composer of the Year". Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
^ "Danish Radio Big Band announces Miho Hazama as new Chief Conductor". DR. June 24, 2019. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
^ "Artistic Leadership". New York Jazzharmonic, inc. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
^ "MO has three permanent world-class conductors from August 2020". Metropole Orkest. July 10, 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
^ "Nissan Presents Jazz Japan Award" (in Japanese). Jazz Japan. 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
^ "Nissan Presents Jazz Japan Award 2012". Jazz Japan. Vol. 30. Tokyo, Japan: Jazz Japan, Yamaha Music Entertainment Holdings, Inc. 2013-01-23.
^ "出光音楽賞歴代受賞者" [Idemitsu Music Award Successive Recipients] (in Japanese). Idemitsu Kosan. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
^ "Photos: Miho Hazama wins 16th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize". BMI. June 30, 2015. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
^ Hale, James (July 2016). "25 for the Future / Miho Hazama". DownBeat. Vol. 83, no. 7. Chicago. p. 36. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
^ "Journey to Journey - Miho Hazama | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
^ "Time River - Miho Hazama | User Reviews". AllMusic.
^ "Monk: Live at Bimhuis - Miho Hazama | User Reviews". AllMusic.
^ "Dancer in Nowhere - Miho Hazama | User Reviews". AllMusic.
^ "Marius Neset Tributes - CD". ACT Music.
^ "Imaginary Visions, Miho Hazama". bandcamp.
^ "Miho Hazama m_unit celebrates with new album Beyond Orbits". Edition Records.