Himiko Kikuchi

Biography

Himiko Kikuchi, born in Sendai, Japan, in 1953, is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer whose playing joins classical training to jazz fusion. A child piano and Electone prize winner, she became a busy session keyboardist in the late 1970s and released her first album, 'Don't Be Stupid', in 1980. Albums such as 'All Right', 'Flying Beagle' and 'Sevilla Breeze' made her a distinctive voice in Japanese fusion, and she has since composed for screen, led big band performances and taught younger musicians.