Yuki’s Musicians
This page lists the musicians who have performed songs written by Yuki Kajiura.
Akagi, Rie
赤木りえ Birth date unknown
Rie Akagi is a popular recording artist, arranger, composer, and performer, who is recognized as one of the leading jazz flutists in Japan. Born into a musical family, she began piano studies at age 5 and flute studies at age 9. During her university years she developed a strong interest in various styles of music. She has had numerous performances and appearances on radio and TV in addition to her regular touring schedule. She has performed with artists such as Tito Puente, Chevere, Poncho Sanchez Group, Makinto and has participated in many international jazz festivals and Latin music festivals. She has already produced 10 of her personal recordings since 1984.
While working with Yuki kajiura she performed in album such as See-Saw Dream Field, Chiba Saeko Everything and Melody, FictionJunction YUUKA circus, and in soundtracks such as, .hack//SIGN OST 1, .hack//Liminality OST 1, Noir Blanc Dans Noir, Madlax OST 1 and 2, El Cazador OST 1, Tsubasa Chronicle Future Soundscape I, II,III, Elemental Gerad OST 1 and 2. Mai-Otome OST 1.
Official Site
Berliner, Jay
Birth date unknown
Jay Berliner was born in Brooklyn, New York and is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. Following school he returned to New York City where, over the past twenty years, he has played on over 10,000 recordings ranging from phonograph records to commercial jingles to motion pictures and television. For five consecutive years he won “Most Valuable Player Award for Best Acoustic Guitar Player” from NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences). With Yuki he has played acoustic guitar in the songs “winter” and “canta per me” of the album Fiction.
Goldstein, Gil
Born in 1950
He began studying accordion at age 5, but later moved on to cello and piano. He studied at the Berklee College of Music and by 1973 was working with Pat Metheny, Lee Konitz, and others. He started with the Gil Evans Orchestra in the early 1980s and also worked with Wayne Shorter. He has also worked in films. He resumed doing occasional accordion work in the 1980s. Goldstein is credited with composing the music for the 1994 film Radio Inside. He has won three Grammy Awards two of which came from his production and arrangement credits for Michael Brecker’s Wide Angles album (2003). In 2007 he co-released an album Your Songs: The Music of Elton John. Goldstein is currently a professor at New York University. With Yuki he played accordion in the songs “canta per me” and “winter” of her album Fiction.
Honda, Masato
本田雅人 Born November 13,1962
Influenced by his parents, he started playing sax when he was in the third year of elementary school, and belonged to a jazz orchestra when he was in Kunitachi College of Music. He made his debut at Yamano Big Band Jazz Contest and won an award for the best soloist. After graduation, as a recording musician, he participated in the works of many musicians, while supporting the tours of Japanese top artists. In 1998 he started his career as a solo musician after leaving T-SQUARE. Besides a band under his name, he worked for projects such as “Witness”, “B.B.Station”, “Four of a kind”, ”Voice of Elements”, etc. He also arranged and produced a collaboration album with Marlene, and in 2008, he collaborated with Bob James in recording for his own 8th album.He works in many fields including session with various musicians, recording, arrangement, producing etc. Masato Honda’s skill with the flute, soprano sax, alto sax, baritone sax, tenor saxophone, and Electric Wind Instruments is what he is recognized for. With Yuki, he played his saxophone in both Pandora Hearts OSTs.
Kasahara, Ayano
笠原あやの Birth date unknown
Ayano Kasahara is a japanese cello player. Ayano Kasahara started out on the cello at the age of 6. After graduating from the Senzoku College of Music, she attended the Ensemble Diploma Course at the Toho College of Music. In 1993, she won a prize at the Tateshina Music Festival. Based on classical performance in symphonies and chamber orchestras, she has participated in studio sessions of pop artists, and has extended her range of activity. While working with Yuki Kajiura she played cello in Chiba Saeko’s albums Everything and Melody as well as in many soundtracks like Noir OST 1 and Noir blanc dans Noir, Madlax OST 2, Le Portrait de Petit Cossette OST, Erementar Gerad OST I and II, Mai Otome OST 1 and 2, Mai-Hime OST 1 and 2, Tsubasa Chronicle Future Soundscape I, II and IV. She also played in Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Original Sound Best Tracks.
Kido, Kiyo
城戸喜代 Birth date unknown
Kido Kiyo is both a violinist and violist. She graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music. Since college days, she has been active mainly in chamber music, also as a solo player, regardless of genre. She is also active in contemporary music, and has appeared in many concerts including “Contemporary Music Series” by Suntory Music Foundation and “Quartet and Their Friends” by Zen-on. In 1994, she was sent by Japan Foundation to various cities in China as the violist of Shinozaki Isako Quartet and have received the Competition Committee’s Special Award in the composition category of the 68th Music Competition of Japan in 1999. Her violin can be heard in Yuki Kajiura’s Tsubasa Chronicle Future Soundscapes 2,3,4, Mai Otome OST 1 and 2, Kalafina’s ARIA, Kara no Kyoukai OST 5,6, and is still playing for Yuki recently in Kalafina music.
Konno, Hitoshi
今野均 Birth date unknown
Hitoshi Konno is a violin player. He began playing violin from the age of 5. He started stage appearances and recordings while he was attending the Tokyo Music University. After graduating he participated in various artists’ stage supports, movies, and dramas. In recent years he activites broadened to live performances overseas, song arrangements, and soundtrack producing. He played music in, Utakata, Vampire Knight, Darwin ga kita! Soundtrack, Nobita and the Legend of the Green Giant, MOONLIGHT MILE, (TV series), and Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto.
With Yuki he worked in many soundtracks like Noir, Xenosaga II – Zenaku no Higan, Tsubasa Chronicle, Elementar Gerad, Mai-HiME, Le Portrait de Petite Cosette, MADLAX, .hack//SIGN, El Cazador as well as in lives like Revo&Yuki Kajiura: Dream Port (concerts),Yuki Kajiura’s Live Vol 2,4,5 and 6 this May.
Official Site | Official Blog
Korenaga, Koichi
是永巧一 Born December 25, 1961
Koichi Korenaga is a Japanese guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer. He is known for composing soundtracks for the anime series Love Hina, Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2049, The legend of Black Heaven, Maburaho and .hack//Legend of the Twilight Bracelet. He is also the guitarist of the Japanese group JUNGAPOP and has released 3 albums with them so far. While working with Yuki Kajiura he played electric guitar in See-Saw’s “DreamField” and “Kimi wa Boku ni Niteiru” (single), Chiba Saeko’s albums “Everything” and “Melody”, FictionJunction Yuuka’s “Destination” and “circus”, Yui Makino’s “synchronicity”, as well as in”Sprinter/Aria” of Kalafina. He also played in soundtracks such as Madlax ost 1 and 2, Tsubasa Chronicle future soundscape II, III, IV, Mai-Otome OST 1 and 2, Mai-Hime OST 1 and 2, Le portait de Petit Cossette OST, Hokuto no Ken OST, El Cazador ost 1, 2, Kara no Kyoukai ost 1, 3, 4. Furthermore, Koichi, performed in Yuki Kajiura’s Live Vol 2,3 and 4.myspace account
Kuwano, Hijiri
桑野聖 Birth date unknown
Hijiri Kuwano is a violinist. Since graduating from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Hijiri has been active as a leader of the strings section, a solo violinist studio musician, and support musician of top artists. In 1991, he offered his music to the concept album of Kenji Ishikawa’s photo collection “Moon Light Blue,” and was well received. Since then, he began working as a composer and arranger. He has arranged music for various artists, and has offered his music to concept albums, films, commercials and TV dramas.In 2002, he released his first solo album, “Toho-Genbunroku (Fiddler’s Philosophy)” from KICK UP Label.In 2004, he collaborated with Yoshikazu Suo in composing the music for the TBS animation “Bokyaku no Senritsu (The Melody of Oblivion),” and released a soundtrack with Victor Entertainment.With Yuki he played violin for .hack SIGN OST 1, .hack SIGN EXTRA OST, as well as for .hack Liminality OST.Official Site
Matsuda, Masato
松田真人 Born in February 25,1956
With his mother’s encouragement, he started learning organ at the age of 5 years and, and piano at the age of 6 years. In his elementary school years, he fell under the spell of popular songs. King Crimson, Elton John, Santana, and Chick Corea influenced him in his high school years. In his college years, he got seriously involved with classical music . After entering Kunitachi College of Music, he was immersed in composing. After graduation he taught music in Shimura High School in Tokyo, but retired after a year and started professional musician career after joining an Inaba Akira’s concert tour. In 1985 he joined “Paradigm Shift”, and in 1992, “Paradox”. He has so far participated in concerts and recordings of numerous artists such as Kisugi Takao, Yamashita Tatsuro, Tanimura Shinji, Bob Sakuma and so on. From 1999, he has performed piano solo concerts, which have been well received. Currently he energetically does both studio works and supporting of live performances. Between 2001 and 2007, he released 4 piano solo albums: “Kokoro Tokimeite”, “Story of Romantic Melodies”, “Requiem” and “Atatakana Jikan”. With Yuki Kajiura he had played acoustic piano for many of her soundtrack and j-pop works, among them are Fiction, See-Saw “I have a dream”, Saeko Chiba’s album ‘Everything’, FictionJunction and recently in Kalafina music.
Official Site
Mizoguchi, Hajime
溝口 肇 Born April 23, 1960
Hajime Mizoguchi, violoncellist as well as being composer,was born in 1960 in Tokyo. He started playing piano at 1963 and violoncello at 1971 in which majored at the Tokyo university of Art, in it he started playing the cello with Japanese pop-singers and working as a studio musician for radio, T.V.films, and albums. At the age of 22, he met a serious traffic accident, which made him start composing. He was married to composer Yoko Kanno until 2007, with whom he collaborated on the soundtracks for “Please Save My Earth” and “Vision of Escaflowne”. He worked with Yuki Kajiura by playing cello for See-Saw’s “Early Best” album.Official Site | Official Blog
Nishikawa Susumu
西川進 Born in July 9
Susumu Nishikawa is a professional guitarist and producer. He was born in Yawata, Kyoto. He has worked with many many artists since 1986 , among them are: Shiina Ringo, Do As Infinity, Suga Shikao, Hamasaki Ayumi, Shimatani Hitomi, Horie Yui, Angela Aki, Kouda Mariko, misono, Kitade Nana, Nagai Mariko, Nakamura Ayumi and many others. As producer he has worked with The Turtles, KOKIA and OLIVIA.While working with Yuki Kajiura he has played music in See-Saw (Dream Field, early best, Kimi ga Ita Monogatari), in Life Goes On sung by Mika Arisaka , in the album “Fiction”, in FictionJunction’s YUUKA albums Destination and circus. He has also played music and/or arranged songs in Chiba Saeko’s albums “Everything” and “Melody”. Moreover we can hear his electric guitar in Yuki’s soundtracks such as hack//Liminality, hack//SIGN OST 1, 2, Madlax OST 2 and Tsubasa Chronicle’s Future Soundscape I, II. .He also performed in Yuki’s Anime Expo 2003 in USA.
Official Site | Official Blog
Nozaki Masuke (real name: Nozaki Shinsuke)
野崎真助 Born December 10, 1975
Nozaki Shinsuke is a Japanese drummer who graduated from Kanazawa Izumigaoka High School in Ishikawa prefecture. He is nicknamed “Masuke” in the music world. His younger brother, Nozaki Morio, is also a musician, a bassist. Some artists Nozaki has worked with in live performances are aiko, Takahashi Katsunori, day after tomorrow, and Fujii Takashi, and in recordings with Ayaka, Ganaha Mina, Kinki Kids and TM Revolution. With Yuki Kajiura he has played drums for the FJY albums “Destination” and “circus” , for Chiba Saeko’s “Melody” and “Everything” as well as for Kalafina’s sprinter/ARIA single. Nozaki has also played in various Yuki Kajiura soundtracks like Tsubasa Chronicle Future Soundscapes I, II, III, IV, Madlax OST 1, 2, Mai-Hime and Otome OSTs 1, 2, Le portait de la petit Cossette, and Pandora Hearts OST 1, 2. Nozaki has also participated in the FJY Premium Live 2007, and Yuki Kajiura live vol 1, 4, concerts.Official Site
O’Sullivan, Jerry
Birth date unknown
Jerry O’Sullivan was born in New York City to an Irish-American mother and a father from Dublin of Ireland. His melodic mastery, subtlety and expression of the instrument made him America’s premier uilleann piper. Jerry has appeared on more than 90 albums and has performed or recorded with many artists. He has also recorded a number of film soundtracks . Jerry has toured extensively in the United States and Europe and has even played as far afield as Japan and Israel. With Yuki he played uilleann pipes in her album Fiction (cynical world, open your heart, red rose) as well as in Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra Original Sound Best Tracks.Official Site
Sato, Kyoichi
佐藤強一 Born in 1962
Kyoichi Sato is a drummer and guitarist. During his carrier he did various recordings and live and TV performances, and also is member of the Suzy Cream Cheese and West&Sugar bands. While working with Yuki Kajiura he played drumms in See-Saw’s DreamField album and Edge / Tasogare no Umi single, as well as in Chiba Saeko’s “Everything” and “Melody”, and FictionJunction YUUKA’s “Destination” and “circus”. He has also played in soundtracks such as Noir OST 1, Mai Hime OST 2, Hokuto no Ken OST, El Cazador OST 2, and Kara no Kyoukai OST 3. Moreover, he played in Yuki Kajiura’s live concerts “Yuki Kajiura Vol 2″ and “Yuki Kajiura Vol 3″.Official Site
Suganuma, Kozo
菅沼孝三 Birth Date Unknown
A native of Osaka, Japan. Kozo Suganuma, began playing drums at the age of eight. At the age of ten he appeared on several Japanese TV shows as the Genius Kid Drummer. He became a professional drummer at the age of fifteen and has done many studio recordings and concerts tours.He runs his drum school, Kozo Suganuma Drum Dojo at 6 places in Japan. Because of his amazing technique, Kozo has been given the name “The king of many strokes TE KA ZU OH”. He has been played with many artists from Japan, America, and other countries. Kozo is also an extemely active drum clinician since not only does drum clinics all over Japan but in the abroad too. Apart from CDs, he has released instructional videos, DVDs, and books. While working with Yuki, he played in the songs cynical world, fiction, vanity, of her solo album “Fiction”.Official Site
Tomoharu “Jr” Takahashi
Born 1968, Milano, Italy
Takahashi “Jr.” Tomoharu is a japanese bass player, composer, and producer. In 1991, Tomoharu formed a group called The Rocks.”Omoide kakimawashite mo” was released in 1991,went on to become the theme for the japanese action movie “Toho Kenbunroku”. He was also member of the bands Girl U need, JUNGAPOP, MIYAKE, SHINJI BAND, and GIBIER du MARI. Moreover he has worked primarily as a session musician and has played with, ULFULS, T.M.Revolution, hyde, Ken Hirai, Namie Amuro, Shinji Miyake. With Yuki Kajiura he has played with See-Saw, FictionJunction YUUKA, as well as in many soundtracks such as .hack//SIGN OST 1, Hokuto no Ken OST, Elemental Gerad OST 1 and 2, Mai Hime OST 2, Tsubasa Chronicle Future soundscape II, III, IV, and El Cazador de la Bruja OST 1, 2.Aside that,has performed in Yuki Kajiura’s Live Vol 2 and 4.Official Blog | myspace account
