Haruna Fukazawa

Haruna is a New York-based Grammy-nominated flutist, improviser, composer. Haruna blends classical training with a bold, joyful improvisational style deeply inspired by her mentor, Frank Wess. Haruna has performed at premier venues and festivals across the country, including the Blue Note, Carnegie Hall, The Stone, The 55 Bar, The Bitter End. Internationally, she made history as the first Japanese musician to perform at the Trieste Summer Rock Festival in Italy (2010). In 2024, she appeared as a guest improvising soloist with the Tango Orchestra of the National University of the Arts (Orquesta de Tango de la UNA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Haruna is a multiple-time winner of the National Flute Association’s Jazz Flute Big Band Audition (2019, 2021, 2023, 2025), and she was the featured performer with her quintet at the 19th NFA Convention in 2021. Her group, the Haruna Fukazawa Quintet, released their debut album on Summit Records in 2019, earning a spot in the Top 50 on JazzWeek’s airplay chart. That same year, she was featured on the cover of Hot House Jazz Magazine. She also co-leads the chamber jazz trio Jazz Triangle 65-77 , which has released two albums (2017, 2021). An advocate for free improvisation, Haruna has led workshops at the NFA Convention (2023), the New York Flute Fair (2024), and the International Low Flutes Festival (2024). Haruna is a member of the NFA Jazz Committee, where she supports the development and education of jazz flute.