Miho Hazama

Miho Hazama is a preeminent figure in modern large-ensemble jazz, representing a bridge between the Tokyo and New York jazz scenes. Emerging in the early 2010s, she quickly established herself not just as a pianist, but as a 'composer-conductor' whose primary instrument is the orchestra itself.

Her signature ensemble, m_unit, defies traditional big band categorization by integrating chamber music elements like cello and French horn. Her work is characterized by extreme rhythmic precision, often utilizing odd meters and shifting polyrhythms that recall the influence of Maria Schneider and Gil Evans, yet with a distinctly modern, almost mathematical edge. Critically, she is lauded for her ability to maintain a sense of groove and 'swing' despite the high level of formal composition. As the chief conductor of the Danish Radio Big Band and a frequent collaborator with European ensembles, she occupies a unique cultural position as a global leader in the 'jazz chamber' movement, influencing a new generation of composers who view the big band as a flexible, avant-garde vehicle rather than a swing-era relic.