Japanese Jazz Fusion Ensemble with Noboku Miyazaki

Radio Beirut are happy to welcome Japanese-American musician Noboku Miyazaki to the stage with her Japanese Jazz Fusion Ensemble.

Nobuko Miyazaki is a flutist and shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute) player, based in New York City. A passionate and emotive performer, Nobuko draws influences from across the world, embracing traditions and transcending them. Uniquely versatile, she is a sought-after musician in many diverse genres, including Western classical, Japanese, and Arabic music.

Nobuko has performed throughout the United States, Latin America, Japan, China, and Europe, including high-profile events and venues such as BBC Proms in the Park, City of London Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors Festival, and performing as a soloist at Carnegie Hall.

Nobuko leads the “Mukashi Mukashi…” project, in which she fuses music and storytelling, aiming to heal souls, connect people heart-to-heart, and inspire action for a better community, world, or a day in a person’s life.

She also leads the Nobuko Miyazaki Ensemble, through which she expresses her uniqueness and love for world music, performing original compositions and traditional music with members Brian Prunka (oud), Arei Sekiguchi (drums), and John Murchison (bass).

As a composer, she has written works for theatre, small ensembles, and orchestras, often including traditional instruments such as ‘oud, shinobue, and taiko. Her composition “Inorikaze” (Prayer Wind) for shinobue and orchestra (2013) was premiered by Manhattan Symphonie at Merkin Concert Hall in September 2013, and was performed at Carnegie Hall in June 2015. Her debut album of original compositions was released in February 2015.

She has performed with highly acclaimed musicians from various genres, including Bassam Saba and the New York Arabic Orchestra, Taiko Masala, Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers, and Manhattan Symphonie.

Nobuko is regarded as an enthusiastic educator. In addition to teaching flute and shinobue from her home in Manhattan, she is also a Teaching Artist for Global Arts To Go and a faculty member at the Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center in the Bronx. Her lessons incorporate music from all over the world, as well as guidance in improvisation and composition, with the goal of nurturing happy, creative, and expressive musicians.

Originally from Chigasaki, Japan, Nobuko completed her undergraduate studies in flute performance under professors Thomas Robertello and Kate Lukas at Indiana University, Bloomington, and also holds a Masters in Music in Ethnomusicology from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, UK.

Primary instruments: Flute, shinobue (Japanese bamboo flute), nay (Arabic reed flute)

Other instruments: Sanshin (Okinawan banjo), piano

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