“Ms. Fukazawa has continually amazed me with her ability to create strikingly distinctive styles, always a leap ahead of the hottest and conservative trends. She brings an exceptional level of creativity and technical ability and always surpasses expectations.
She is an inspiration and her stylistic genius is of tremendous value ”
-Frank Wess
HARUNA FUKAZAWA (Flute/Piccolo/Alto Flute/Compose)
Haruna Fukazawa is a New York-based flutist. She has been an active member of the New York, Japan and Europe musical scene as a performer, composer, and a recording artist.
Her playing style is straightforward, sweet, and powerful, which makes Haruna a smart choice for musicians looking for a dominant and sophisticated flute-sound in their music.
Haruna was born in Tokyo and began playing the piano at the age of 4. At the age of 12, she began playing the flute.
After graduating from Mushashino Academia Musicae as a classical player, she attended a Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson's show. She not only discovered jazz but also decided to focus her career on it. In September 2009, she went to New York and took private lessons from the jazz legend Frank Wess. She has been taking lesson from him every time she returns to United States. Mr. Wess became one of her main influences.
Haruna made her debut in2004 in a flute-duo recital playing classical music. On the following year she joined Tuk Tuk Skip, an Irish-pop band.
In 2006 she joined two musical projects as a permanent member, Cichla Temensis; A Progressive-Rock band, and Bellfast; A Folk Metal band. In 2009 she was part of "4°C": a female jazz band who made an appearance in CS Channel Terebi Asahi, on the show Genryu Jazz. In 2010, she was the guest performer at a live show with two famous jazz musicians: the bassist Kiyoto Fujiwara and the pianist Peter Madsen.
Cichla Temensis played in Trieste summer Rock Festival, Trieste, Italy in 2010. It was the first time for a japanese band to perform at this festival. They shared the line up of the festival with great names such as Focus and former Genesis's guitarist Steve Hackett.
In January 2006 Haruna recorded music for a big scale Automaton clock designed by Hayao Miyazaki which was installed in Nihon Terebi TV Station, telling the time to this day. In January 2008,Cichla Temensis released their first CD Another Triangle. In February 2009, they released their second CD ''Affine Space''. In the same year, she went into a studio to lay down flute parts for the song "Bonita": a tune recorded by the famous J-Pop band Dragon Ash in their album ''Freedom''. In March 2010 she released her First Album as a band leader: ''Spring Up'', released by Urban Jazz-Ichigo Ichie. During October 2010 heavy metal band Bellfast released their first CD, ''Insula Sacra'' on King Records Label.
In her career, Haruna has obtained awards as a member of the Irish band Tukutukuskip: In 2006 they attained a Grand Prix award in the 5th Kichiyooji Music Festival. It was the first time for an instrumental band to earn such recognition. In 2007 they also passed an audition from Heaven Artist music Department; becoming a City of Tokyo-Recognized Act for the Promotion of Music.
Since her arrival to the United States, her career continues with a group as six time winner of the Downbeat Critics Poll Karl Berger's Improvisers Orchestra, Patrick Brennan's transparency kestra, Jihye Lee Orchestra, Jazz Triangle 65-77 and more. They have performed around New York city's venues, including The Stone, Shapeshifter Lab, Club Bonafide, The Rubin Museum of Art and Symphony Space.
2016, She performed at the Carnegie Hall as a classical flutist with Tokyo Simon Philharmonic Orchestra.
Her jazz quintet including saxophonist Steve Wilson has been performing at Whynot Jazz Club, Shapeshifter Lab and Club Bonafide.
She had a tour with Michele Fiorindo group in Italy 2015, also with Jazz Triangle65-77 in Japan 2016.
2017, Jazz Triangle 65-77's 1st CD ''Jazz Triangle'' was released from What's New Records.
In Japanese
