Biography
Sumie (Sumi-é) Kaneko creates music that spans a millennium. A master in the traditional repertoire of these ancient instruments, she has also pioneered their use in jazz and experimental music, through solo and group performances worldwide. She has collaborated with such artists as Pulitzer Winner Paula Vogel, Gamelan Galak Tika’s Evan Zyporyn, RONIN’s Nik Bärtsch, taiko artist Kenny Endo, Kaoru Watanabe, and gidayu-shamisen virtuoso Yumiko Tanaka.
Her career started in 1995 as a winner of the Takasaki International Competition in Koto performance. After graduating from Tokyo National University of the Arts, Sumie move to Boston in 2002 and studied Jazz vocal at Berklee College of Music. She has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Blue Note NY, TED talk, Regattabar, Getty Center, Boston Ballet, Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 2014, her group was invited to the Washington, DC Jazz Festival. Sumie also tours overseas as a cultural ambassador. She has been performed in South America with Japan Foundation, and every year since 2013 she is invited to Middle East and South Asia from Embassy of Japan. In 2018, she is expanding her career in Europe as well. Past international performances were held in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Japan.
As an educator she has worked with Harvard University, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Wellesley College, among other institutions. In South Asia, Sumie also visits many of non-profit organizations for street children to encourage future education.
Sumie has released two albums. Second album Dead of the Night (available on iTunes) has been well received as her unique and exquisite sounds. Her passion is always towards original and new compositions, and currently Sumie is composing suite for traditional instruments. Her third album will be released in 2019.