About

A cultural ambassador of Japan Foundation and a winner of the 2009 National Flute Association Jazz Flute Masterclass in USA, YUKARI has been recognized for her innovation and hybridization of various musical genres with contemporary Jazz.

She has performed for Anthony Braxton Trillium J, Karl Berger’s improvising orchestra and has toured worldwide including the top-notch venues such as Carnegie Hall, Blue Note, Tribeca Film Festival, MOMA, Tokyo Jazz Festival related events, Numazu Jazz festival, AMR music festival, NYC Flute Festival, La Cote Flute Festival and Yamano Flute festival to name a few.

Her debut album ”Dreams” released in 2010 from Inner Circle Music was recorded with Ben Monder, Thomas Morgan, Greg Osby and Greg Hutchinson and received glowing reviews from Jazz Times, Jazz life and Jazzwise.

Her composition credits for the documentary film ”High train to Tibet” by French director Patrick Morell, “Apo’s Dream” a Japanese animated film by Kodansha and theatre works including “There is No Place Like No Place” which premiered at the Sthlhouderij Theater in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

YUKARI is a Pearl Flute artist, gives master class and workshop about improvisation around the world. She is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music.

Main collaborated artists  (alphabetical order)

Michael Attias (saxophonist, composer), Karl Berger (pianist), Anthony Braxton (saxophonist, composer), Steve Cardinas (guitarist), Daniel Carter (saxophonist), Mark Cash (guitarist), Gerald Cleaver (drummer), Sean Conly (bassist), Marc Copland (pianist), Kris Davis (pianist), Robert Dick (flutist), Chris Dingman (vibraphonist), John Hebert (bassist), Bobbi Humphrey (flutist), Greg Hutchinson(drummer), Jon Irabagon (saxophonist), Masabumi Kikuchi (pianist), Alain Kirili (suclputer), Jason Linder (pianist), Miya Masaoka (koto), Billy Mintz (drummer), Ben Monder (guitarist), Thomas Morgan (bassist), Shoko Nagai (pianist), Sam Newsam (saxophonist), Pascal Niggenkemper (bassist), Meg Okura (violinist), Eivind Opsvik (bassist), Greg Osby (saxophonist), Clarence Penn (drummer), Ronnie Plaxico (bassist), Brad Shepick (guitarist), Ernesto Simpson (drummer), Tyshawn Sorey (drummer), Ben Street (bassist), Satoshi Takeishi (drummer), Nasheet Waits (drummer), Mark Wiener (painter)