Erisa Ogawa – Sky Is The Limit ~ A Letter To Salt Spring

RELEASED 2016

ERISA OGAWA BIOGRAPHY

Erisa is quickly becoming a prominent figure in the music industry. Her natural talent as a Flutist is gaining attention. Erisa Ogawa is a Flutist and a Composer, originally from Yokohama, Japan, born in 1989. She began to study piano at the age of three, flute at the age of nine, alto sax at the age of seventeen.

She began to study flute in her elementary school band. She joined her Junior High School Concert Band and participated in many concerts and contests. Her flute ensemble won the first place at the ken-on ensemble festival in 2002 at Zama Harmony Hall and she also won the gold prize at her school contest.

After she went to a junior high school in Japan for a year, she went to a high school in Canada where she spent her high school life on a beautiful little island called Salt Spring Island, where she experienced Jazz for the first time. A music director, Bruce Smith, noticed Ms. Ogawaʼs talent early on, and soon afterward Erisa began to join Jazz bands and Jazz combos in which she tried to learn Jazz through listening.

When she was in grade 12, in 2007, the Jazz band and Jazz combo won the Gold prize at West Coast Jazz Festival. The Jazz combo also won the Gold prize at Canada National Music Festival and she received a scholarship to join the Berklee College of Music Summer Program from the judges. That success had been taken up by the local newspaper and she earned the most outstanding instrumental award at the school commendation ceremony.

After her graduation, Erisa decided to devote the rest of her life to being a musician. Erisa then went to Kansas Wesleyan University on a scholarship and majored in music. She was a member of the school concert band and Jazz big band, Jazz Ensemble and Choir. She received second place in Wesleyan Showcase 2007 Talent show and was selected to participate in the 2008 KANSAS intercollegiate band representing the university with selected members from 22 Music school in the States. She also played the piano with Salina Symphony at Stiefel Theatre in October 2007.

In 2008, Erisa transferred to Berklee College of Music by getting a North America Scholarship. At Berklee, Erisa Ogawa studied Jazz, contemporary music, Brazilian Music, ear training, Jazz harmony, improvisation, composition, arrangement, ensemble and Jazz history. She met many great musicians and began studying with some of the most influential professors in Boston as well as highly acclaimed musicians, such as George Garzone, Matt Marvuglio, Greg Osby, Darren Barrett and Dave Samuels.

During her time at Berklee, Ms. Ogawa’s flute technique was highly regarded by her colleagues. She was invited to perform with many bands from within and without at many recital halls, jazz clubs, and bars.

Erisa participated in several recording sessions and from those accomplishments she received a “Performance Division Chair Award” in 2011.

In 2012, She was selected to play at Agganis Arena for Commencement Concert which honorary degreed the Eagles alongside special guests, like the Grammy Award-winning country singer Alison Krauss and influential Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke.

After graduating with high honors from Berklee College of Music, Ms. Ogawa moved to New York City to continue her career as a professional musician. She performed at several venues on a weekly basis.

In 2013, Erisa returned to Japan. She won ‘the Chigusa Award‘ and ‘the Best Performance Award‘ at the Chigusa Competition which is held by the oldest Jazz Records shop in Japan in 2015. She released her 1st Album CD and LP from ‘Chigusa Records’ on 2016. Her debut was featured in many Jazz Magazines, National News Papers and TV in Japan. She is also well known as the 1st Beat Boxing Flutist in Japan.

She was nominated and featured in a magazine called ‘Jazz Japan’ as one of the most influenced Jazz musician who appeared in 2000′ era in Japan in 2017.

She is a versatile performer who plays a variety of music ranging from classical music to contemporary jazz and has performed in Japan, Canada, the United States, Cuba, London and Paris.