BRIDGING WORLDS THROUGH MUSIC

A master storyteller, Keiko Matsui crafts passionate, emotive, and timeless anthems colored with rich harmonies and global rhythms. A humanitarian by nature, her passion for a better, connected world threads through every action and every note of her music.

Keiko is inspired by the world around her. “I unconsciously receive inspiration from the things around me, like people I meet while traveling, events happening in the world, the news, or the movies,” explains the pianist. A lover of nature, Matsui often makes reference to plants, animals, the elements, and other natural features and phenomena in her song titles.

As much humanitarian as musician, Keiko weaves special causes into her works. “My fans come from all backgrounds, and I have been approached by various foundations to join in their efforts. When I hear of a cause that resonates with me that I can dedicate my music to, then I am always willing. It is my way to show gratitude and give back,” states Keiko.

In 1997, she launched a tour dedicated to raising awareness of breast cancer and released a four-song CD entitled A Gift of Hope that benefited the Y-Me Breast Cancer Organization. Her music was prominently featured in a Lifetime special profiling several courageous women battling breast cancer. In 1999, the pianist performed at a skating concert featuring Olympic figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi, Tara Lipinski, Ekaterina Gordeeva, and Katarina Witt, which benefited the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

1998 saw the release of her album Full Moon and The Shrine, which was accompanied by the acclaimed PBS-TV special Keiko Matsui: Light Above The Trees.

Keiko Matsui’s CD Deep Blue (2001) topped Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts for three consecutive weeks. She is the first Japanese artist to achieve this honor. In 2003, she enjoyed success with her recording The Piano, which featured reinventions of some of her most loved original works.

In 2004, royalties from Keiko’s album Wildflower were donated to support the United Nations World Food Programme’s efforts in Africa, following her performance at the United Nations Headquarters. “Humanitarian assistance can change people’s lives for the better,” shares the activist.

Keiko followed that same format with her album A Gift of Life, dedicating performance and album proceeds to the National Marrow Donor Program and the Marrow Foundation to help Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches, which promotes the registration of people of ethnic minorities as marrow donors to improve their chances of finding a matching donor.

In December 2009, the highly sought-after pianist was asked to put together a Christmas show at the Blue Note club in Tokyo, which was a major success. In November 2010, she made her highly anticipated debut at the Blue Note in NY, which was sold out.

In 2011, Keiko recorded with fellow pianist Bob James on a four-hand piano project called Altair & Vega. Keiko’s depth as a composer has also allowed her to contribute music to soundtracks in Japan, the U.S., and Russia. She also released her critically heralded Billboard Top 5 recording The Road…, which featured Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona and saxophonists Kirk Whalum and Jackiem Joyner, among others.

In 2013, Keiko Matsui celebrated the release of her critically lauded album Soul Quest, which is the musical inspiration behind Live in Tokyo. The same year, she was an invited guest in Istanbul for International Jazz Day alongside such luminaries as Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis, and Terence Blanchard.

Journey to the Heart (2016) and Echo (2019) further solidified Keiko’s place as one of the most significant and thrilling pianists in contemporary jazz.

Her most recent 2023 album, Euphoria, “is about the hope that we all carry inside of us,” shares Keiko. “I have this dream where we can each cherish our own happiness and learn to accept and care for one another.”

This soft-spoken, petite pianist has amassed a devout following and a powerful presence with the hope-filled message she expresses through her music.

More about Keiko Matsui at her WEBSITE…

If you’re not able to join us in person, you can enjoy a full live performance online with Middle C On-Demand.  Learn more…

Preview of Keiko Matsui from her last visit to Middle C Jazz.