Junichiro Mataga

Junichiro Mataga is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator based in New York City. He grew up in Niigata, Japan where he began playing piano at the age of six. After graduating high school, he moved to Tokyo and began studying jazz piano in the University Jazz Club. Following his graduation from the University of Electro-Communications with a Master’s Degree in Engineering, Mataga worked as a Sound and Vibration Researcher in the Central Research Lab of NEC Corporation. Throughout his studies and his work, he was active in the jazz scene in Tokyo, Japan. He performed with his own band, the big band, Shiny Stockings; the gospel band, 7 Seasons; the jazz quartet, Beyond the Cinema. Mataga’s career took a major turn in 2019 when he moved to New York City and began taking Master courses in the jazz program at Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. He graduated from ACSM in May 2020 and is now working as a freelance musician in NYC. He studied with world-renowned musicians such as David Berkman, Jeb Patton, Hal Crook and many others.  He released his first debut album “Sketches” in June 2021. This album won “Silver Medal Winners, composition/composer division” and also got “Top Albums of the Year 2021” by Global Music Awards. Mataga also released his second album "Landscape" in April 2024. His original song from this album "Escher's Staircase" won the 2024 Lennon Award and Grand Prize in the Jazz Category of "the John Lennon Songwriting Contest 2024, and was also selected as a Runner-Up at the Unsigned Only Music Award 2025 in Jazz Category.
 

Photo credit: Billy from BnB Photography

又賀純一郎
ニューヨーク在住。新潟市出身。6歳からピアノを始め、大学のジャズ研究会でジャズを始める。ジャズピアノを石井彰氏に師事。卒業後はNEC中央研究所にて振動音響工学の研究職員として従事する傍ら、ピアニスト、キーボーディストとして活動。作編曲を大貫和紀氏、ピアノ奏法を道脇直樹氏に師事。2013年には新潟ジャズコンテストにて自身のカルテットで金賞（最高位）を受賞。2015年にはBerklee College of Musicの奨学金を獲得。リーダーバンドでの活動の他、東京都内のBigBand、Shiny Stockingsの一員として目黒Blues Alley Japanや新宿J、銀座NB Clubなどに出演。
2019年に音楽留学のため渡米。ニューヨークのAaron Copland School of Music にてMaster of Music, Jazz Studies（修士課程）を修了。David Berkman, Jeb Patton各氏らに師事。学外においてもImprovisation をHal Crook氏に師事。在学時には優秀な生徒に贈られるMarvin Hamlisch Awardを受賞し、Award Concert ではオーケストラと共演。同年、BrooklynのSoapbox Gallery にて行われたDavid Berkman主催のSolo Piano イベント”Piano Hang”にピアニストの一人として出演し、David Berkman, Bruce Barth, Sean Wayland らと共演。2021年6月、1st Piano Trio Album 「Sketches」をリリース。本作はGlobal Music Awards のComposition部門 にてSilver Medal/Outstanding Achievementを受賞し、2021年のTop Albums of the Year 2021に選出された他、ジャズ専門Website「All About Jazz」やJazz Life、Jazz Japan などジャズマガジンにレビューが掲載されるなど、国内外で高い評価を得ている。2024年、自身2作目となる2nd Piano Trio Album「Landscape」をリリース。本CDに収録されたオリジナル曲"Escher's Staircase" が国際的な作曲コンテストThe John Lennon Songwriting Contest 2024 のJazz Category にて上期のGrand Prize Winner に選ばれ、その後の一般オンライン投票にてCategory内の年間最優秀賞であるLennon Awardに選ばれた。また同曲はthe Unsigned Music Award 2025のジャズ部門にてTop 10 Finalists に選出され、その後、Runner-UP （準優勝）に選ばれた。