BIOGRAPHY

EISHIN NOSE

Eishin Nose, a jazz pianist, composer and arranger, is a native of Otaru, Japan, currently residing in New York City.

Eishin moved to California in 1992 to study at Foothill College, south of San Francisco, where he performed as pianist in a jazz band.

That same year, Eishin moved to New York City, where he enrolled at the renowned Mannes College of Music and The New School, where he obtained a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts Degree in Music.

He studied with Richie Beirach, Jaki Byard, Phil Markowitz and Russ Lossing, as well as with classical pianist, German Diez.

Eishin has since collaborated with dozens of phenomenal musicians over the years including, Satoshi Takeishi, James Cammack, Matt Wilson, Gregorie Maret, Yosuke Inoue, Eliot Zigmund, Jeff Williams, Tim Armacost, Travis Sullivan,Bob Meyer, Dave Ambrosio Joe Morello, Pheeroan Aklaff, Lonnie Plaxico, Duan Cook, David Smith, Taro Koyama, Shunzo Ohno, Fukushi Tainaka, Satoshi Inoue, Rikiya Higashihara, Sumiko Yoseyama, Brooklyn Gig Band, and many others.

Profile

Eishin Nose is a composer-pianist from Otaru, Hokkaido. After moving to the U.S. in 1992, he has been based between New York and Japan, developing a unique musical world that transcends genres through original compositions and free improvisation.

He is the first jazz musician ever to receive the S&R Washington Award, and his work has also earned the DownBeat Award, Swing Journal Gold Disc Award, and the Hokkaido Cultural Encouragement Prize. In the International Songwriting Competition, his compositions have been selected as finalists (Top 10) eight times out of over 25,000 entries, gaining wide international recognition. American music critic Edward Blanco describes him as “an artist pursuing a freer form of improvisational art beyond the traditional idioms of jazz.”

In New York, he performs in diverse ensembles including the percussion duo “THE GATE”, the avant-garde free jazz band “Eishin Nose + Snapdragon”, the innovative “Manhattan Trio”, and “The Gate + 4 Strings” featuring string arrangements, as well as a cross-genre unit with opera singers. Beyond performing in venues such as Blue Note across the U.S., he also tours South America, continuing his international activities.

In Japan, Nose tours nationwide from Hokkaido to Okinawa while producing new works, including two albums inspired by the nature and landscape of his hometown. His wide-ranging projects include the Edo-style street jazz band “Oppekepe Jazz Gakudan”, orchestral collaborations with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra and Shizuoka Philharmonic, joint recordings with traditional instrumentalists, and film scoring.

In his hometown of Otaru, he restored a century-old traditional house into a concert hall featuring a 1912 New York Steinway piano relocated from New York. There, he actively hosts concerts, live streams, and community-based performances, also engaging in social activities such as school and nursing home visits and local volunteer work.

Awards

1995: Downbeat Magazine Award
2003: Swing Journal Gold Disc
2009: S&R Washington Award
2015: 2 original songs “In The Forest” as a Jazz, “Pico Pico” as an instrumental were chosen best 10 among 18500 songs in ISC(International songwriting competition)
2017: 2 original songs “Moon Longing For Sun” as a jazz and “Koropokkur Suite” as an Instrumental were chosen best 10 among 16000 songs in ISC
2018: Original song “Moon Longing For Sun” was chosen best 10 among 19000 songs as instrument category in ISC
2020: Original song “Iomante” was chosen best 10 26000 songs as jazz category in ISC
2021: Original song “Exclude Out” was chosen best 10 as jazz category in ISC
2022: Original song “Ta Ta Tsu Ta Ta” was chosen best 10 as jazz category in ISC
2023: Received the Hokkaido Cultural Encouragement Award

Concerts

'03,'04,'05,'07: Eishin Nose Trio in New York Blue Note
02/04/2011: Solo Piano in Sapporo Concert Hall “Kitara”
07/24/2011: Playing Rhapsody in Blue with Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in　Sapporo Concert Hall “Kitara”
01/28/2012: Playing Rhapsody in Blue with Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in Otaru Civil Hall
04/08/2012: Playing Rhapsody in Blue with Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in Kitara
09/04/2012: NHK FM “Session 2012” Trio J-Yorkers:Yosuke Inoue(b) Taro Koyama(ds)
07/19/2013: Eishin Nose+Satoshi Takeishi in Washington DC at Evermay
07/28/2013: Karuizawa Jazz Festival, solo
09/13-17/2013: Kanazawa Jazz Street solo, duo with Satoshi Takeishi
01/12/2014: Eishin Nose and Yuji Nara(World Music) Duo for Ainu event in Hokkaido
05/02/2014: Concert in Mazatlan, Mexico for The 400th Anniversary of Japan-Mexico Friendship
11/23/2014: The Gate Eishin Nose+Satoshi Takeishi in Washington DC at Kennedy Center
05/29/16: Solo piano at "Otaru Marine Hall", used NewYork Steinway piano made in 1912
010/21-11/12/2016: THE GATE Japan Tour, at Doshin Hall in Sapporo, Ebisu Garden Room
06.27/2018: Eishin Nose Two Men Orchestra THE GATE+STRING4, concert in Brooklyn
11/30/2018: Play Rhapsody in Blue with Shizuoka Symphony Orchestra
2019: Joined with Travis Sullivan（alt）Bob Meyer（ds）Free Jazz Unit『Snap Dragon』
04/02/2019: Solo Concert in Cusco, Peru at Teatro Municipal del Cusco
04/04/2019: 120 years Japanese immigrant in Peru special Concert in Lima, Peru at Centro Cultural Peruano Japonés
05/16/2019: Koyama Shota+Eishin Nose in Pitt In
10/23/2019: The GATE 10 years anniversary special live at Sapporo Kitara Hall
1/13/2020: Play Rhapsody in Blue with Sapporo Symphony Orchestra in Otaru Community Hall
1/18/2020: Eishin Nose’sPhoto exhibition and solo piano at Arishima Museum in Niseko
2024: Eishin Nose’s composition “Heaven’s Dream” was featured as the film score in “Yume o Kuu (Dream Eater)”, directed by Keitaro Fujimori, a film depicting the life of Hideaki Toyama, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic wrestling gold medalist, screened in Tokyo. His piece “Air” was also used in Fujimori’s short film, which was presented at the Obihiro Film Festival.
Nose recorded “RITUALS II”, a free improvisation album with Satoshi Takeishi under the duo name THE GATE, at his Hariusu N-038 Piano Hall in Otaru.
2025: Nose recorded with his New York–based improvisational trio Eishin Nose + Snapdragon.

Discography

2001: “Here Now Hear” Trio+1: Gregorie Maret(harmonica) Mat Wilson(ds) Yosuke Inoue(b)
2003: “Home Sweet Home” J-Yorkers: Yosuke Inoue(b) Taro Koyama(ds)
2005: “Burning Blue” Solo piano
2009: “Inside Out Dream” Trio: Dave Ambrosio(b) Satoshi Takeishi(ds) Eliot Zigmond(ds)
2010: “THE GATE” Live album. Eishin Nose+Satoshi Takeishi
2011: “Waiting” Trio with James Cammack(b) Duan Cook(ds)
2012: “Kitara Solo Concert” Solo Piano
2012: “THE GATE, 2012 Live in Shibuya” Eishin Nose+Satoshi Takeishi
2013: “THE GATE, Japan Tour 2011~2012” Eishin Nose+Satoshi Takeishi
2014: “Kamuifumu Ureshipamoshiri Ikorokoro” Eishin Nose+Yuji Nara（World Music)
2014: “RITUALS” Eishin Nose+Satoshi Takeishi
2015: Studio recording “Pico Pico” Eishin Nose+Satoshi Takeishi
2016: The first ballad album “HEAVEN’S DREAM” Solo piano
2017: “Uncertain Landscape” Eishin Nose+Satoshi Takeishi
2018: “Uncertain Landscape” vinyl record released
2020: Solo in TOKYO “Harmonics”
2021: Northern Lights, THE GATE 2018
2023: “SENSE THE MOMENT” Solo piano
2024: Air
2025: Northern Lights II
2025: SENSE THE MOMENT II

For more information

Quotes

“Nose's bend for pure improvisational music is evident. Nose does have a gift for composition and delivers several note worthy scores. Eishin Nose is not content with performing traditional jazz preferring the freedom that improvisation brings. He continues expressing the depth of his feelings through creative, intricate and challenging music”
By Jazz Writer, Edward Blanco

“As a pianist and an artist, he built the music with free creative mind just like a painter drawing on canvas”
By Jazz Writer, Yhu Masahiko

“Exciting, Powerful and Beautiful”
Photographer, Katsumi Kurikami

As a photographer

2018: First Photo Exhibition in Kushiro, Urali,
Photo Exhibition at Manogo Cafe in Okinawa,
Photo Exhibition “Uncertain Landscape” at Zenibako Style in Hokkaido,
Sapporo Houmura Gallery, got Special Award called “KIMIKO Award”
05/29~06/03/2019: Photo Exhibition “mado”　at Sapporo Houmura Gallery
1/13/2020: Eishin Nose’sPhoto exhibition”michi” and “hikeri”

EISHIN NOSE - Jazz pianist

BIOGRAPHY

EISHIN NOSE

Profile

Awards

Concerts

Discography

Quotes

As a photographer

INFORMATION

THE BAND/UNIT

INTERVIEW

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