About Me
Hitomi Nishiyama was born on November 17,1979, and grew up in Osaka, Japan. She took up classical piano at the age of 6, and started playing jazz at age 18 when serendipity came in the form of two deeply inspirational CDs -- Chick Corea’s Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, and Bill Evans’s Undercurrent.While majoring in Jazz Piano at the Osaka College of Music, Hitomi embarked on her career as a professional pianist. After graduating from college, she devoted herself to the music of Enrico Pieranunzi and came to be noted for her exceptional performances at various Japanese houses of jazz.From 2003 Hitomi began to focus on creating and performing original music. In September of 2004, Hitomi released her first and self-produced album titled I’m Missing You (Hitomi Nishiyama Trio, VNTM04001), comprising of eight original tunes which blended her love of Pieranunzi with a refreshing dose of European lyricism. I’m Missing You garnered her more than a favorable recognition, and resulted in marketing opportunities all over Japan. Hitomi’s ascent to national fame culminated in 2005 when her trio (Satoshi Otani Bs, Takehiro Shimizu Ds) won a grand prize at the Yokohama Jazz Promenade 2005.In May of 2006, Hitomi teamed up with two of Sweden’s most talented musicians, Hans Backenroth (Bs) and Anders Kjellberg (Dr), and recorded Cubium (SOLJP0003/Spice of Life) in Stockholm. Cubium gained accolades even before its national release in September 2006, and further established Hitomi’s eminence in Japan. She was consequently invited to perform at numerous jazz festivals in Japan, including Yokohama Summer Jazz Festival, Konan Jazz Festival, Yokohama Jazz Promenade, and Hirakatajuku Jazz Street.In July of 2007 Hitomi and her Swedish trio were invited to perform at the Stockholm Jazz Festival, making Hitomi its first Japanese guest musician. Her performance won rave reviews from the Swedish press.More recently at the renowned Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm, Hitomi performed and recorded with Hans Backenroth (Bs), Paul Svanberg (Dr), and Karl-Martin Almqvist (Ts, Fl, B-Cl) for two nights of solid groove.Back in Japan, Hitomi is looking forward to collaborating with two of her pianist friends to producing “Jazz Complex,†a musical event featuring a nascent generation of musicians creating original music in Japan (http://hitominishiyama.net/jc_flame/). Hitomi can be found performing regularly with her trio at numerous jazz establishments all over Japan. In October of 2007, Hitomi will be releasing her second album from Spice of Life.Hitomi’s music is flavored by influences from both Enrico Pieranunzi and European jazz, and is recognized for its inimitable, exquisitely beautiful melodies. On the other hand, Hitomi’s performances with her trio radiate with passionate energy, and are known to cut across known genres. Her music is sought after by fans across Japan, and Hitomi is proving herself as one of Japan’s preeminent female pianists.I have recently released my 4th album "Parallax", which reached the first top of the HMV jazz chart, and was nominated for the Swing Journal jazz prize.Hitomi Nishiyama's Official Home page is here (in Japanese) 　　http://hitominishiyama.net
