SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 · 7:30 PM

HIROMI’S Sonicwonder

THE BAKER-BAUM CONCERT HALL
Prelude Interview hosted by Robert John Hughes · 6:30 PM

“One of the most remarkable piano talents of our time.” — The Arts Desk

Ever since the 2003 release of her groundbreaking debut, Another Mind, pianist Hiromi has astonished audiences with a creative energy that eclipses the boundaries of jazz, classical, and pop, taking improvisation and composition to new heights of complexity and sophistication. Taking the stage as part of the electrified four-piece ensemble sonicwonder, Hiromi builds on the spark of collaboration to create something magnificent.

Born in Hamamatsu, Japan in 1979, Hiromi was first exposed to jazz by her first piano teacher, Noriko Hikida, who introduced her to the great pianists Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson. She enrolled in the Yamaha School of Music and started writing music. Hiromi moved to the United States in 1999 and studied at the Berklee College of Music. Among her mentors was jazz bassist/arranger Richard Evans, who took Hiromi’s demo to his friend, the legendary pianist Ahmad Jamal; they co-produced Hiromi’s first album, Another Mind. The album was a critical success in North America and Japan, where it shipped gold and received the Recording Industry Association of Japan’s Jazz Album of the Year Award.

In 2009, Hiromi recorded with pianist Chick Corea on Duet, a live recording of their
concert in Tokyo. She also appeared on bassist Stanley Clarke’s GRAMMY-winning release,
Jazz in the Garden. In the summer of 2021, she performed at the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics.

Sonicwonder features Adam O’Farrill on trumpet, Hadrien Feraud on bass, and Gene Coye on drums.

JAZZ PIANO MINI FESTIVAL
In honor of JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH

In April, the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian celebrate Jazz History Month. To honor the legacy and history of this music, we have curated a weekend of performances by some of the most revered jazz pianists of our time as well as masterclasses, panel discussions and more.