FLUTES
Muramatsu 9K Gold Sankyo Silver HEAD JOINT Emanuel Flutes 14K Gold ALTO FLUTE Kotato&Fukushima PICCOLO P. Hammig |
Haruna Fukazawa is a New York-based flutist, improviser, composer and a voting member of the Recording Academy, originally from Tokyo, Japan, Haruna blends classical training with a bold, joyful improvisational style deeply inspired by her mentor, Frank Wess.
Haruna is a 2026 GRAMMY® Nominee in Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for “SHAYAN” by Charu Suri. Haruna studied classical music at Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Japan before setting her sights on New York City, where she began studying with Frank Wess. Encouraged by him, she made the move to New York, launching a dynamic career that bridges tradition and innovation. Since arriving in the U.S., Haruna has performed at premier venues and festivals across the country, including the Blue Note, Carnegie Hall, The Stone, The 55 Bar, The Bitter End, The Nash and Edgefest. She was also an integral member of Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra, founded and led by Karl Berger, a pioneering figure in avant-garde jazz and free improvisation and a six-time winner of the DownBeat Critics Poll. Internationally, she made history as the first Japanese musician to perform at the Trieste Summer Rock Festival in Italy (2010). In 2024, she appeared as a guest improvising soloist with the Tango Orchestra of the National University of the Arts (Orquesta de Tango de la UNA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Haruna is a multiple-time winner of the National Flute Association’s Jazz Flute Big Band Audition (2019, 2021, 2023, 2025) and won the NFA Professional Flute Choir Competition in 2021. She was featured as a soloist for Ali Ryerson’s composition at the NFA in 2022 and was the featured performer with her quintet at the 19th NFA Convention in 2021. Her group, the Haruna Fukazawa Quintet, released their debut album on Summit Records in 2019, earning a spot in the Top 50 on JazzWeek’s airplay chart. That same year, she was featured on the cover of Hot House Jazz Magazine. She also co-leads the chamber jazz trio Jazz Triangle 65-77 , which has released two albums (2017, 2021). An advocate for free improvisation, Haruna has led workshops at the NFA Convention (2023), the New York Flute Fair (2024), and the International Low Flutes Festival (2024). Haruna is a member of the NFA Jazz Committee, where she supports the development and education of jazz flute. |