Over the period of 20 years as a professional jazz pianist and 7 full-length album appearances (3 as leader), Keigo Hirakawa has transformed himself from a student of the jazz masters to an artist with vision and unique sense of expressions. Though his engagements may include jazz clubs to music halls and jazz festivals, he takes the time to contribute to his home music scene through mentorship and appearances with up-and-coming talents. The jazz piano trio he leads is well-known throughout the Midwest for their willingness to be musically spontaneous on stage, exploring original compositions and redefining jazz standards to make it their own. Sought after for his articulate use of harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary and his leadership style on the bandstand, Hirakawa can be heard throughout the US and internationally.
Trained in New York City and at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Hirakawa is fortunate to have been mentored by many world-class jazz artists, including Danilo Perez, Stephen Scott, Harold Danko, Alan Pasqua, Ran Blake, Cecil McBee, Ralph Peterson, Jerry Bergonzi, Donald Byrd, John McNeil, George Garzone, Bob Moses, and Walt Weiskopf. He has appeared on stage alongside Donald Byrd, Joe Lovano, Robert Hurst, JD Allen, Carla Cook, Bobby Lavell, Bob Moses, and Allen Vizzutti; toured with Duane Eubanks and Noah Preminger; has performed with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra; and his latest album features the jazz bass legend Robert Hurst. He was the acting director of the Cornell University Jazz Ensembles in 2000-2001, during which time he welcomed Donald Byrd, Jimmy Heath, Wycliffe Gordon, Terell Stafford, Vincent Herring, and Joe Chambers onto the stage as guest soloists. He is a passionate clinician and educator, and is on faculty at the University of Dayton.