Yuki Shibata is a music teacher, jazz pianist, and composer originally from Himeji, Japan. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Yuki maintains an active teaching and performance schedule, including recent gigs as a band leader at Mile’s Cafe and Shrine in NYC and The Fireplace, Cafe Luna, and Kings Back Bay in Boston.
Studying classical ballet as a child, Yuki was introduced to jazz, classical, and contemporary music. Because her dance teacher was a big fan of jazz, she got a chance to dance to the album, “Helen Merrill with Clifford Brown” in concert, which was the first time for her to feel a strong passion for jazz.
Yuki’s principal piano teachers are Yuki Arimasa (Tokyo, Japan), Frank Carlberg, and Ray Santisi (Boston, MA). She has also studied with Danilo Perez, Joanne Brackeen, and jazz improv with Hal Crook.