Shoko Igarashi, born in 1991 in Yamagata, Japan, is an accomplished tenor saxophonist and versatile flute, alto and soprano saxophones player. She has equally made her marks as an arranger and a composer.
Shoko began studying the saxophone in elementary school and quickly started picking up songs from cartoons on television by ear. Later on, she attended the music high school, Senzoku Gakuen in Tokyo where she received proper classical and jazz training.
In 2012, she won a scholarship to study in United States at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. There, she sought the guidance and earned the respect from top jazz musicians on the East Coast. After graduating in Jazz Performances Bachelor’s degree with high honors, she relocated to the jazz capital of the world: New York City, where she soon rose to popularity as a brilliant saxophonist and was frequently performing at various venues and appeared on several recordings. Her debut album “Alarm Call” as a leader was recorded in Brooklyn in 2016 with her original “Organ Trio” which was well acclaimed in the international press. She is now residing in Brussels, Belgium, where she’s doing her master degree at the Royal Conservatory and working on her next album creation.