A-one and a-two and a-you know what to do...!
Come on down and swing along with the best ragtime, stride, and jazz musicians in town.
Upper Terrace (at the base of the William Cullen Bryant Statue behind the New York Public Library)
Yuka Aikawa
Jazz, Composer, Accompanist
“Yuka is a dedicated pianist/composer with worlds of talent.” - Jimmy Heath
Pianist and composer Yuka Aikawa began playing piano at the age of five in her native country, Japan. She studied at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, where she received her M.A. in jazz performance under the guidance of Sir Roland Hanna and Jimmy Heath. During this time, she received the prestigious Michael Feinstein Award for “Outstanding Talent.” When not at Bryant Park, you can hear Yuka at various Jazz clubs in and around the New York area - including the Blue Note, Kitano Hotel, and Birdland Jazz Club, as an accompanist for the jazz choir - the Lance Hayward Singers, or on Carline Ray's beautiful album Vocal Sides, produced by Catherine Russell. Yuka's new trio album, Clouds and Water, a tribute to Sir Roland Hanna, has been released in Japan, where she tours every year. In addition to being a resident Tap-A-Long pianist at Bryant Park, Yuka has worked alongside Harold Cromer, a tap dancer, for Hats Off, Taps On for Gregory - a tribute to Gregory Hines, at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center.
*Join Yuka for a special performance when she hosts Tap-A-Long with Toes on May 23.
Thank you for the music!
Many thanks to Sam Ash Music Stores for their support through the years.
