Hiroe Sekine

I can provide a jazz and jazz-pops (including bossa nova) performance as a soloist, or with a rhythm section and horn instruments as appropriate or required for the gig. I can sing in many languages to add an international flavor.
I can play as a performer on stage, or in the background.

A native of Japan and a graduate of USC Thornton School of Music (jazz studies), Hiroe Sekine lives in the Los Angeles area performing at many venues, festivals and others, including the highly prestigious Jazz Concert Series at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in 2014 and 2016, with the entire two-hour performance of 2016 including her interview broadcast on the nation-wide jazz station KJZZ 88.1FM.

Her debut album, ”a-mé” (rain) was released in 2010 with her own compositions and unique arrangements of jazz standards for a sextet, produced by Russell Ferrante of Yellowjackets. This album was selected one of the best 25 jazz albums released in 2010 by “All About Jazz”.

In 2012, her second album “After the Rainfall” was released with new compositions and arrangements together with her piano and vocals, also produced by Russell Ferrante. This album was awarded “Best Music of 2012” by the internet site “Bluefat”. Her composition “So, but, anyway” from this album became the finalist of the International Songwriter’s Competition of 2015. Both albums received numerous other high acclaims from jazz critics, and the tracks are constantly played by jazz radio stations throughout the US and used as inserts by NPR radio.

Her third album “One World One Sun”, also produced by Russell Ferrante, was released by Sony Music in 2017, a major label debut. This album is a collection of Hiroe’s compositions which blend jazz with a variety of international music styles. She has appeared on numerous radio interviews and played at jazz venues in Japan. Also, the very popular Japanese FM station J-WAVE adopted Hiroe’s arrangements of its station jingles and is currently playing them on air.

The Aquarian Weekly magazine, widely read in the New York area, selected One World One Sun as the BEST ALBUM in the Worldbeat category of 2017. Her compoisition “Nippon Barre”, one of the tracks from the same album, was awarded FIRST PLACE by the International Songwriting Competition in the jazz category in 2017.

Hiroe has played with many top jazz artists, such as Bob Sheppard, Peter Erskine, Alex Acuña, Larry Koonse, Tony Dumas, Bob McChesney, Michael Valerio, John Daversa, Edwin Livingstone, et al.

I prefer to play a ground piano, but can also play an upright piano, or bring my own electric piano to the gig. I need a microphone and a boom stand if I am requested to sing.