Simon Cosgrove

Simon was born in England and studied music at Cambridge University after gaining national acclaim as a prizewinner in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. He won the prestigious Daiwa Scholarship in 2003 and moved to Tokyo, where he studied Japanese language and traditional music. He soon made an impact on the Tokyo jazz scene and is in constant demand as a saxophonist, pianist, composer, arranger and educator. He has released four albums as a leader, and has performed with such acclaimed artists as the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jamie Cullum and Duran Duran. In 2014 his group was invited to play at the Manly Jazz Festival in Sydney, and he also performed at the Jus’ Jazz Festival 2013 in India. In 2015, Simon appeared on TV Asahi as a member of the Eric Miyashiro Big Band, and since 2017 he has appeared on TV and in concert with Japanese superstar Seiko Matsuda. In 2023 he won the grand prize in the Sax World magazine Uta-mono Sax Contest. Simon is currently Associate Professor at Joshibi University of Art and Design, where he teaches music.