Long Bio

Japan-born musician Ryota Sasaki is based on the East Coast of the United States, as well

as in Tokyo Japan. Known for his versatility as a saxophonist and woodwind player, he

has collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Hiromi Uehara, James Francies, Steve

Wilson, and Ingrid Jensen in both the U.S. and Japan. In parallel to his performance

career, Ryota is an accomplished composer, writing original works for his own 17-piece

big band that is set to release its debut EP this year, and producing a type of music for

video games, anime, and multiple media.

After high school, Ryota was awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music,

where he earned his Bachelor’s degree (BM) in Jazz Composition. He later received a full

scholarship to pursue his Master’s degree (MM) in Contemporary Performance at the

Berklee Global Jazz Institute. During his studies, he has trained under world-renowned

pianist Danilo Pérez and refined his craft with mentors including Tony Malaby, Godwin

Louis, and George Garzone on saxophone, as well as Ayn Inserto, Bob Pilkington, and

Miguel Zenón in composition.

As a composer, Ryota received the Thelonious Monk Award from the Berklee Jazz

Composition Department in 2024, an Honorable Mention for Large Ensemble Writing

from the Jazz Education Network Young Composer Showcase, and a DownBeat

Magazine Outstanding Performance Award for the Ryota Sasaki Big Band.

In addition to his jazz influences from the United States, Ryota's musicality is deeply

rooted in Japanese film, traditional, and contemporary music. Growing up in a Japanese

temple in Yokohama and authorised as a monk at the age of 10, he has been immersed in

Japanese traditional cultures, Buddhist practices, and traditional music since childhood.

Ryota has performed extensively in both the United States and Japan, Notable

performances include sharing the stage with artists like Edmar Castaneda, James

Francies, and GRAMMY-award winner Hiromi Uehara at Blue Note Tokyo in 2019 as a

Japanese jazz manga-inspired tour "Blue Giant Night" as a representative of young

Japanese jazz musicians.

In 2023, he performed in Tito Puente’s 100th Birthday celebration show, "The Mambo

Kings 100 Years", at Berklee Performance Center alongside percussionist John "Dandy"

Rodriguez, six-time Latin Grammy Award–winning singer Gilberto Santa Rosa, and

Eguie Castrillo. And Ryota released his single "Otherworldly" on Spotify. Same year

In 2024, he performed the national anthem and Japanese traditional folk songs at the

Consulate General of Japan in Boston for the Japanese Emperor’s birthday ceremony

with legendary trumpeter and Berklee College of Music professor Tiger Okoshi. And the

same year, Ryota joined Tiger’s Italian tour to perform at the Music Riva Festival in Italy

in the summer of 2024.

Ryota is also supported by his Asian jazz community in the States. In 2025, he began

working with renowned composer and his colleague from Shanghai, Zhengtao Pan,

creating virtual art projects as a saxophonist, as well as joining Pan’s full big band album

recording with Outside Music Records. The project featured collaborations with Rufus

Reid on bass, Steve Wilson on saxophone, and Martha Kato on piano, produced by Dave

Rivello. In the same year, Ryota also joined the Japan-Korea tour as both performer and organizer, presenting eight shows across Japan and Korea with featured musicians from the United States. Since 2023, Ryota has been selected as a Rotary Foundation International District 2590 scholarship recipient. Since then, he has given various speeches and participated in gatherings with other Rotarians, discussing topics such as peace and the world through

music as an Rotary Scholar alumni.

As a media composer/studio musician, Ryota has contributed to numerous releases worldwide, including Japan, the United States, the UK,China, Italy, and France. In 2022, he participated in the recording of an Airplane company "ANA" TV commercial as a saxophonist and arranger.

In 2023, he contributed to the recording for the Japanese movie "Black (K)Night" led by

the Japanese idol group EXILE as a tenor and soprano saxophonist. In 2024, Ryota

served as the music arranger and recording musician for the long-running Japanese anime

"Dr. Stone" season 4th as a composer, arranger, and recording artist for all the

Woodwinds. I Currently, Ryota is pursuing his master’s degree while preparing new releases and performing extensively in both the United States and Japan. He is also continuing his

work in media music, contributing to projects such as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure mobile

app games, Japanese brand Baycrew’s commercials, Yonex, Japanese famous long-run anime “Jujutsu kaizen” season 3, and many other modern media

productions as a woodwind performer and arranger.