EPK - HARUNA FUKAZAWA
FLUTIST, IMPROVISER, COMPOSER, BANDLEADER 

“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

  CONTACT
  [email protected]

BIOGRAPHY
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​Haruna Fukazawa is a New York-based flutist, improviser, composer, Muramatsu America Flutes Artist and voting member for the Recording Academy (Grammy), originally from Tokyo, where she studied classical music at the Musashino Academia Musicae. She started visiting New York City regularly to study with Frank Wess, and shortly after with his encouragement, she decided to move to New York.
Haruna’s straightforward, joyful, and powerful playing style is inspired most by her legendary teacher and mentor, Frank Wess.
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She had appeared on many albums, TV shows, and movie recordings as a side musician in Japan, and after she arrived in the United States, her career continues to evolve as she works in a variety of groups. Of note is her involvement with Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra, which won the Downbeat Critics Poll six times. She has performed in some of the most prestigious venues in New York City, among them the Blue Note, Carnegie Hall, The Stone, The 55 Bar, Edgefest, The Bitter End, Joe’s Pub, and The Rubin Museum of Art, and furthermore, she performed at the Trieste Summer Rock Festival in Trieste, Italy, in 2010. It was the first time for a Japanese musician to perform at this festival.
Also, she was a guest improved soloist for Tango Orchestra of the National University the Arts  (Orquesta de Tango de la UNA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2024. 

Haruna is a multi-time winner of the National Flute Association (NFA) Jazz Flute Big Band Audition (2019, 2021, 2023).Also, she won the Professional Flute Choir competition in 2021. In 2022, she was a soloist for Ali Ryerson's composition at the NFA.

Haruna Fukazawa Quintet performs regularly; the album was released from Summit Records in 2019. Her album was ranked in 50 on Jazz Week (Jazz and Smooth Jazz radio stations airplay charts).
She was also featured on the cover of the Hot House Jazz Magazine. In 2021, the band was selected to be the featured performer at the 19th NFA Convention.​

​Haruna also co-leads a chamber jazz trio called Jazz Triangle 65-77. The band released two albums in 2017 and 2021.

In addition as an improviser, she gave workshops on free improvisation at the NFA convention (2023), the New York Flute Fair (2024), and The International Low Flutes Festival (2024).

PROJECTS



Haruna Fukazawa Quintet
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Haruna Fukazawa - flute and alto flute
Steve Wilson - soprano saxophone and flute​
David DeMotta - piano
Bill Moring - bass
​Steve Johns - drums

'DEPARTURE' - Album Trailer

CONTACT

Cats Meeting

​Jazz Triangle 65-77
Haruna Fukazawa - flute and alto flute
Shu Odamura - guitar
​Aki Yamamoto - bass

​James

Kyoto, Historic District"

Free Improvisation

​with Various Musicians

​Solo Flute Improvisation for Jeremy Steig

​Improvisation at Main Drag

Improvisation with Van Gogh #1

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​​​Workshop

The International Low Flutes Festival (2024)

​New York Flute Fair (2024)

​National Flute Convention in Phoenix (2023)

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PRESS

HOT HOUSE Jazz Magazine (Cover and CD review)

New York Jazz Records
Jazz Japan Interview


“...best of all is her warm, woody, swinging tone. This is one of the best jazz flute albums I've heard in a long time." - CD Hotlist
Read full article at CD Hotlist


“...she brings joy to her project with her flautist mastery, excitement and spontaneous energy" - Musical Memoirs by Dee Dee MacNeil


“...she developed a clear, warm and fresh sound with a brilliant technique...”  - Jazz Critique Magazine (JAPAN)　　　　　　　 
Read full article at Jazz Critique Magazine
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“The Flute player has a brilliant talent''
Trieste News paper (Italy)

“The flutist plays melodies full of delicate dynamic shades''
POTTERS PAPER 

“The flautist is truly a great player, incorporating in his<sic> playing both the centuries-long tradition of Japanese flute playing and Western Jazz Improvisation technique''
Jazzis Web shop

“...she has a significant amount of gigs in various formats. It is remarkable how she masters many music idioms''
EURO-ROCK PRESS 

“...a record processing a light, sweet and energetic sound''
Kiryu Times news paper