Hiromi Uehara
Hiromi Uehara (born March 26, 1979), often known mononymously as Hiromi, is a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. She is known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances and blending of musical genres such as stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical, nu jazz and fusion in her compositions. In 2021, she performed at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Also recorded as Hiromi · Uehara, Hiromi, 1979-
Hiromi Uehara

Nomo (Michael Hoefner) · CC BY 2.5
- Name
- Hiromi
- Born
- 26 March 1979
- Died
- YYYY MM DD
- Occupation
- * Musician
- Nationality
- Japan.
- Fields
- jazz, jazz fusion, post-bop, bebop, contemporary jazz and jazz rock.
- Education
- Hamamatsu Kita High School, Berklee College of Music and Hosei University.
- Honours
- Grammy Awards, Japan Gold Disc Award, 50th Japan Record Awards and 59th Japan Record Awards.
- Languages
- Japanese.
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Hiromi Uehara (born March 26, 1979), often known mononymously as Hiromi, is a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. She is known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances and blending of musical genres such as stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical, nu jazz and fusion in her compositions. In 2021, she performed at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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Hiromi Uehara (born 1979) is a Japanese composer, musician and pianist. The composer was born in Hamamatsu.
Hiromi Uehara studied at Berklee College of Music, Hamamatsu Kita High School and Hosei University. The composer is a member of Hiromi’s Sonicbloom.
Genres include bebop, contemporary jazz and jazz, among others. Languages used include Japanese. Hiromi Uehara received 50th Japan Record Awards, 59th Japan Record Awards and Grammy Awards, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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In this article
Biography
Biography
Hiromi Uehara studied at Hamamatsu Kita High School, Berklee College of Music and Hosei University. The recorded working language is Japanese. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are jazz, jazz fusion, post-bop and bebop. Distinctions recorded are Grammy Awards, Japan Gold Disc Award, 50th Japan Record Awards and 59th Japan Record Awards.

Hiromi Watches Dave Hiromi Uehara
pollobarca2 from Mendrisio, Ticino, Switzerland · Flickr

Hiromi standing by the piano Hiromi Uehara
pollobarca2 from Mendrisio, Ticino, Switzerland · Flickr
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Hiromi • Landscape — yes • Born — 26 March 1979 • Died — YYYY MM DD • Origin — Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan • Instrument — * Piano • keyboards • synthesizers • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — * Musician • composer • Years Active — 1996–present • Label — Telarc International • Website — hiromimusic.com
Biography
Biography
Uehara was born on March 26, 1979 in Hamamatsu, Japan. She began playing piano at age six and was introduced to jazz by her teacher Noriko Hikida when she was eight. At age 14, she played with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. When she was 17, she met Chick Corea by chance in Tokyo and he invited her to play with him at his concert the next day.
Early career
Early career
After writing jingles for a few years for Japanese companies such as Nissan, she enrolled to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. There, she was mentored by Ahmad Jamal and signed with Telarc before her graduation, releasing the album Another Mind in 2003; she graduated later that year. That album shipped gold in Japan (with sales in excess of 100,000 units) and was named Jazz Album of the Year by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. After graduating from Berklee, Hiromi continued to write, record, and tour, releasing albums Brain (2004) and Spiral (2006). In 2006, she formed the group Hiromi's Sonicbloom with bassist Tony Grey, drummer Martin Valihora, and guitarist David Fiuczynski, subsequently releasing albums Time Control (2006) and Beyond Standard (2008) with the group. In 2011, Hiromi won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album as part of the Stanley Clarke Band. An anime film adaptation of Blue Giant (manga) produced by NUT was announced on October 21, 2021 with Hiromi composing and performing the piano segments of the film. It is directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa, based on a screenplay by Number 8, with character design by Yūichi Takahashi (who also served as the film's chief animation director) and original music and soundtrack by Hiromi Uehara. It was originally set to premiere in 2022, but was shifted to February 17, 2023.
The Trio Project
The Trio Project
Uehara's Trio Project brought together before 2011 the late American bassist Anthony Jackson (d. 2025), who was previously a guest on the Brain album, and drummer Simon Phillips. The group made four albums together: Voice (2011), Move (2012), Alive (2014), and Spark (2016). Move and Alive both charted inside the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Jazz Album charts, while Spark reached the number one position. Following Jackson's death in 2025, Hiromi has moved forward with new iterations of the ensemble which became called Sonicwonder in 2025. The current format is a new quartet, featuring Hadrien Feraud on bass, Gene Coye on drums, and Adam O'Farrill on trumpet. Hiromi is set to bring back the "Trio Project" name for a new tour and recording in Fall 2026 called the Trio Project Revival, with Simon Phillips returning on drums, and James Genus as the new bassist.
Instruments
Instruments
In a 2010 interview, Uehara said she plays the Yamaha CFIII-S concert grand piano, Nord Lead 2, Clavia Nord Electro 2 73, Clavia Nord Stage Piano, and Korg microKORG.
Personal life
Personal life
Uehara married Japanese fashion designer Mihara Yasuhiro in 2007. They met after she performed at one of his fashion shows in Milan the year before.
Studio albums
Studio albums
• Another Mind (Telarc Jazz, 2003) – rec. 2002 • Brain (Telarc Jazz, 2004) – rec. 2003 • Spiral (Telarc Jazz, 2006) – rec. 2005 • Time Control by Hiromi's Sonicbloom (Telarc Jazz, 2007) – rec. 2006 • Beyond Standard by Hiromi's Sonicbloom (Telarc Jazz, 2008) • Place to Be (Telarc Jazz, 2009) • Voice by the Trio Project (Telarc Jazz, 2011) • Move by the Trio Project (Telarc Jazz, 2012) • Alive by the Trio Project (Telarc Jazz, 2014) • Spark by the Trio Project (Telarc Jazz, 2016) • Spectrum (Telarc Jazz, 2019) • Silver Lining Suite by Hiromi and a string quartet (Telarc Jazz, 2021) • Sonicwonderland by Hiromi's Sonicwonder (Telarc Jazz, 2023) • OUT THERE by Hiromi's Sonicwonder (Telarc Jazz, 2025)
Live albums
Live albums
• Hiromi's Sonicbloom Live in Concert (2007) [DVD-Video] • Duet (Chick Corea & Hiromi album) with Chick Corea (Stretch, 2008) [2CD] - live rec. 2007 at Blue Note Tokyo • Hiromi Live in Concert (2009) [DVD-Video] – rec. 2005 • Duet with Chick Corea (2009) [DVD-Video] - rec. 2007. released in Japan only. • Solo Live at Blue Note New York (2011) - rec. 2010 at Blue Note Jazz Club • Hiromi: Live in Marciac by the Trio Project (2012) [DVD-Video] • Move: Live in Tokyo (2014) [DVD-Video]
Other appearances
Other appearances
• Jazz in the Garden - The Stanley Clarke Trio featuring Hiromi and Lenny White (Heads Up, 2009) • Triangle Soundtrack - Flashback (BMG Japan, 2009) • Goldfingers - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (cutting edge, 2010) • The Stanley Clarke Band - The Stanley Clarke Band featuring Hiromi in "No Mystery", "Larry Has Traveled 11 Miles and Waited a Lifetime for the Return of Vishnu's Report", "Labyrinth" and "Sonny Rollins"(Heads Up, 2010) • Get Together – Live in Tokyo - Akiko Yano and Hiromi (Universal, 2011) • Walkin - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (cutting edge, 2012) • Oscar, With Love - Kelly Peterson, with Hiromi in "Take Me Home' and 'Oscar's New Camera" (Two Lions, 2015; reissued by Mack Avenue, 2017) • Ramen-na Onnatachi - Akiko Yano and Hiromi (Universal, 2017) • Live in Montreal - Hiromi & Edmar Castañeda (Telarc, 2017) • Chasing Shadows - Tony Grey (Abstract Logix, 2008)
Filmography
Filmography
• Blue Giant (Music, 2023)
Works and production
Works and production
The following works and productions are recorded by name or by count. Institutional cataloguing adds that hiromi Uehara is recorded as human. Institutional cataloguing adds that hiromi Uehara is recorded with the occupation composer. It is also recorded that hiromi Uehara is recorded with the occupation pianist. It is also recorded that hiromi Uehara is recorded with the occupation jazz musician. Recorded with the occupation musician. It is also recorded that hiromi Uehara is recorded with the gender female.
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q233453: Hiromi Uehara
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Hiromi Uehara”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Hiromi Uehara Berklee College of Music. college.berklee.edu.
- 2.Jackson, Grant. Hiromi On Piano Jazz. NPR Music. April 23, 2010.
- 3.Writern, Aki Ikeuchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff. Uncertain times spur jazz pianist to strike new chords. japannews.yomiuri.co.jp. 2021-10-24.
- 4.Hiromi - Concord. concord.com.
- 5.Berklee College of Music. Hiromi Uehara.
- 6.Thurman, Chad. No Strings Attached. VIE Magazine. 8 November 2016.
- 7.Duet Chick Corea.
- 8.Greenlee, Steve. Her place in the sun. The Boston Globe. January 29, 2010.
- 9.Hiromi Artist GRAMMY.com. grammy.com.
- 10.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Blue Giant Anime Film's Trailer Reveals Cast, More Staff. Anime News Network. December 15, 2022.
- 11.Natasha, Inc. Eiga Natalie. October 21, 2021.
- 12.Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Blue Giant Manga About Aspiring Jazz Musician Gets Anime Film. Anime News Network. October 20, 2021.
- 13.Hodgkins, Crystalyn. Blue Giant Anime Film Reveals Main Staff, February 2023 Opening. Anime News Network. June 21, 2022.
- 14.Hiromi. Concord.com.
- 15.Hiromi Biography, Music & News. Billboard.
- 16.Rolling Stone Japan. 伝説的ベーシストのアンソニー・ジャクソンが73歳で死去、矢野顕子や上原ひろみとも共演. October 20, 2025.
- 17.Traub, Alex. Anthony Jackson, Master of the Electric Bass, Is Dead at 73. The New York Times. October 27, 2025.
- 18.Yahoo. Legendary Musician Dead at 73: 'One of the Giants!'. October 21, 2025.
- 19.Keyboard Magazine. Hiromi :The Solo Piano Sorcery of Place To Be.
- 20.Rao, Priya. Hiromi Uehara Pushes the Limit. WWD. 1 February 2010.
- 21.Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra "Goldfingers" - Tokyo's Coolest Sound. Coolestsound.jp.
- 22.Oscar, With Love [Standard 3-CD]. Mackavenue.com.
- 23.Discography album|HIROMI the Official Web Site.
- 24.Blue Giant. eiga.com.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q233453: Hiromi UeharaWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
This entry is compiled from 7 catalogued sources across 6 independent registers. The registers consulted are Internet Archive, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, The Art Institute of Chicago, Crossref registry and DOAJ. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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