Kevin M

Kevin McHugh is an American jazz pianist, composer/arranger and accordionist from Seattle, USA. He studied jazz piano and German language at Oberlin College and Conservatory, the oldest music school in the United States, as well as in Germany at the Technische Universität Berlin. In 2006, Kevin won a year-long Watson Fellowship and used this large grant to study improvisation in 5 countries. From 2007 - 2009 Kevin lived in New York City and San Francisco, but spent considerable time touring the US and Europe, as well as the Tony award winning theater group The San Francisco Mime Troupe. In 2011 he was chosen to compose music for theater and film projects supporting the Tohoku earthquake survivors, thanks to a grant from the Japan Foundation. He is a recipient of a 2015 Seattle 4Culture award to lead a collaborative project between Japanese and US musicians.

Kevin is a long term resident of Tokyo, and continues his involvement in diverse musical styles, and has played in the major jazz clubs and hotels in Tokyo. He also plays accordion, improvised theater, and works as a musical director. He has performed on NHK "Songs" and recorded as a leader, composer and arranger for many groups and record labels, including CASIO and S2S Japan. Kevin has played both piano and accordion for fashion, party and entertainment events around Japan involving top international and domestic clients such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Disney, Goldman Sachs, Toyota, NHK, United Airlines, AEON, and more.