Miho Hazama - Composer, Conductor, and Bandleader

More About Miho Hazama

Grammy-nominated composer, Miho Hazama is one of the most promising and talented composers/arrangers of her generation. Lauded in Downbeat as one of “25 for the Future”, Miho developed her signature jazz chamber orchestra “m_unit”. Composition is her true calling, and in addition to her effort with m_unit, she has created works for many different musical contexts. Most notably, she has composed for Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Ashley Bouder Project Ballet Company, Yamaha Symphonic Band, to name a few. Miho became a composer in residence of Siena Wind Orchestra in 2017, and she is a composer of the year 2019 of Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa.

In 2019, Miho took up a post as the chief conductor of Danish Radio Big Band after Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer and Jim McNeely, to name a few. Miho also became the permanent guest conductor of Metropole Orkest in 2020. Besides them, Miho has worked as a conductor with WDR Big Band, Clasijazz Orchestra and Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, to name a few.

Suggested Listening

• Imaginary Visions - Miho Hazama & Danish Radio Big Band

• Dancer in Nowhere - Miho Hazama & m-unit

• Data Lords - Maria Schneider Orchestra

• Hiding Out - Mike Holder & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra

• Quake - Mike Holder & The Gotham Jazz Orchestra

• Rituals - Jim McNeely & Frankfurt Radio Big Band (ft. Chris Potter)

• Lickety Split: Music of Jim McNeely - Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

After our conversation on beer, take this quiz to tell you what beer you should try!