is a Japanese
jazz pianist
Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...
, keyboardist, composer and arranger.
Early life
Kikuchi was born in
Sendai
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, desig ...
,
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the nort ...
,
on March 2, 1953. Raised in
Shiogama
is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 52,662, and a population density of 3,032 persons per km² in 23,270 households. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Shiogama is in north-central Miya ...
, she began studying classical piano at the age of 7, under the tutelage of Ruiko Koga of
Miyagi Gakuin Women's University
is a private university in Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
History
The Miyagi Girls' School was founded by the Reformed Church in the United States in Japan with the assistance of missionaries Masayoshi Oshikawa
Masayoshi Oshikawa (押川方義 ...
's Music Department, and
Tokyo University of the Arts
or is the most prestigious art school in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju and Adachi, Tokyo. The university has trained renowned artists in the fields of painting, scul ...
Professor Takako Horie.
When she was 12 years old, she won second prize at the
Yamaha Electone Competition for her performance of
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
's
Toccata and Fugue in D minor
The Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, is a piece of organ music written, according to its oldest extant sources, by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). The piece opens with a toccata section, followed by a fugue that ends in a coda. Schol ...
.
Music career
After performing with such vocalists and musicians as
Takuro Yoshida
is a Japanese male singer-songwriter. He was born on April 5, 1946 in Okuchi, Kagoshima and raised in Hiroshima. He made his debut with the single "Imeji no Uta / Mark II" on June 1, 1970. His 1972 recording of "Tabi no Yado" sold over one m ...
,
Tsunehiko Kamijō
is a Japanese singer, actor and voice actor
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice ...
, and
Mayumi Itsuwa
(born January 24, 1951) is a Japanese vocalist, composer, lyricist, and keyboardist who made her debut in 1972.
Her first studio album entitled ''Shoujo'' was recorded in Los Angeles, produced by Grammy Award winner John Fischbach, with distin ...
, Kikuchi began studying under jazz pianist Sadayasu Fujii around 1975.
On July 11, 1979, Kikuchi was the keyboardist for Bingo Miki & the Inner Galaxy Orchestra during their set at
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...
in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
In 1980, Kikuchi released her debut studio album, ''Don't Be Stupid'',
through the
Teichiku Records
is a Japanese record label, run by , that specializes in enka, kayōkyoku, and similar music. Teichiku is an abbreviation for , the former name of the company. Teichiku Entertainment also runs the record labels Imperial Records, Takumi Note, ...
sublabel Continental. The following year, she arranged the tracks for the 1981 album ''Cool "C"'' by American musician
Richie Cole. Her next albums, ''Flashing'' (1981), ''All Right'' (1982), ''Woman'' (1983), and ''Reverse It'' (1984),
were all issued by Continental. Kikuchi's 1987 album ''Flying Beagle'' and 1988 album ''Sevilla Breeze'' were released by
CBS/Sony Records.
Kikuchi composed the music for the 1993 film ''Yakuza Ladies Revisited 2''; her album ''Beam'', released through
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
, serves as the film's soundtrack.
In 2002, Kikuchi served as music director and led an orchestra at the 17th National Cultural Festival, held in
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture of Japan at 570,569 (2016) and has a geographic area of . Tottori Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture to the west, Hirosh ...
.
In 2005, she performed "Furusato - Home in My Soul" at the opening ceremony of the 17th National Lifelong Learning Festival, held in the same prefecture.
That same year, she received the 30th
Tottori City Cultural Award.
Personal life
Kikuchi is married to guitarist Masatsugu Matsumoto.
She moved to
Tottori with him in 1999.
Discography
Studio Albums
As leader
* ''Don't Be Stupid'' (Continental, 1980)
* ''Flashing'' (Continental, 1981)
* ''All Right'' (Continental, 1982)
* ''Woman'' (Continental, 1983)
* ''Reverse It'' (Continental, 1984)
* ''森羅万象'' (Continental, 1985)
* ''Flying Beagle'' (CBS/Sony, 1987)
* ''Sevilla Breeze'' (CBS/Sony, 1988)
* ''Beam'' (RCA, 1993)
As leader, released under different name
* Himiko Kikuchi Big Band - ''Himiko Kikuchi Big Band Live'' (Flying Beagle Corporation, 2000)
* 『ふるさと』''Home In My Soul'' (Flying Beagle Corporation, 2005)
* Himiko Kikuchi Double Quartet - ''DQ * The Live!'' (Toei Music Publishing and Flying Beagle Corporation, 2007)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kikuchi, Himiko
1953 births
Japanese jazz composers
Japanese jazz pianists
Japanese women pianists
Japanese women composers
Living people
Musicians from Sendai
Women jazz composers
Women jazz pianists