Kenji Aihara was born in Hokkaido, Japan. He began his musical career early, taking on the piano in kindergarten. By junior high school, Aihara was ready for a second instrument, making the guitar his main focus. Rock, pop, jazz and many other styles played a major role throughout the high school years.
After graduation, he relocated to Ogden, Utah, to attend Weber State University. As a Classical Guitar Performance Major with a jazz scholarship, Aihara performed in various concerts and festivals, receiving awards at the Northwest Jazz Festival, Reno Jazz Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and Fullerton College Jazz Festival. Locally, he showcased his talents with numerous groups, performing at the Utah Arts Festival, Park City Jazz Festival and Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival.
In 2005, Aihara moved his family to Las Vegas, where he immediately landed restaurant, hotel and casino gigs, playing for The Fitzgerald, Suncoast and the Bellagio (to name a few).
Now back in Utah, Aihara continues to perform with many groups in the Salt Lake City area, and teaches as a private instructor/clinician. His versatility allows him to work also as a studio musician, and he has recorded with musicians both in Utah and Las Vegas. He has recorded an album with his own Trio (Denson Angulo on acoustic bass and Steve Lyman on drums), which received a favorable review by Grammy Award winning jazz trumpeter, Randy Brecker.
Kenji Aihara has appeared with Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Tom Scott, Roy Hargrove, Adam Nussbaum, Marvin Stamm, Ed Soph, John Fedchock, Jeff Jarvis, Mike Vax, Mark Elf, Eldar Djangarov and many other well-known artists.
Kenji Aihara is available for:
- Performances
- Studio Sessions
- Lessons
- Sheet Music Production
- Arranging
- Transcribing
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