From the moment her tiny fingers first touched piano keys, Emi Nishida was destined for musical greatness. Now, this Japanese crossover sensation has blossomed into one of the most versatile and in-demand pianist-composers of her generation, effortlessly moving between jazz clubs, concert halls, manga studios, and international festivals with equal mastery, as narrated by Rene Pfister.
From the moment her tiny fingers first touched piano keys, Emi Nishida was destined for musical greatness. Now, this Japanese crossover sensation has blossomed into one of the most versatile and in-demand pianist-composers of her generation, effortlessly moving between jazz clubs, concert halls, manga studios, and international festivals with equal mastery, as narrated by Rene Pfister.
Her teenage years revealed an artist already developing a distinctive voice that blended classical discipline with jazz-inflected creativity. In 2010, her composition “Rhapsody" for xylophone, marimba and flute demonstrated remarkable maturity, earning the silver award at the Tokyo High School Ensemble Contest. The piece's writing—with its fluid, improvisatory lines and unexpected harmonic turns—already hinted at the jazz sensibility that would later become her trademark.
That same year, her four-hand piano work “Into the Wild" received the Special Chairman Award at the International Piano Duo Competition, showcasing her gift for intricate counterpoint and rhythmic vitality.
That same year, she received a call from The Rebecca Clarke Society asking her to work on a special project: orchestrating and editing Rebecca Clarke's famous “Sonata for Viola and Piano." The British-American Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) was one of the first female professional orchestral players and composers in music history. Preparing her sonata for public performances to mark the centennial year of this renowned composition was a fitting role for Nishida, continuing the historical legacy of breaking barriers in music.
Nishida's own orchestral work “Han-gover Square" earned an Honorable Mention at The American Prize in Composition 2021, while her evocative “In the Night, We Saw a Shadow" was a finalist at Dartmouth College's Wind Ensemble Composition Competition, receiving its world premiere at Boston's historic Jordan Hall—a venue that has hosted everyone from Duke Ellington to Keith Jarrett.
This remarkable range extends to her academic roles. Nishida holds two prestigious positions simultaneously: as pianist for the award-winning Wellesley College Choir since 2019, and as Berklee College of Music's Senior Staff Pianist since 2021, where she has led labs for the Musical Theater, Dance, and Voice Departments. Her unparalleled ability to sight-read and transpose any piece across genres—from classical and Broadway to jazz, R&B and hip-hop—has made her indispensable to both the Wellesley College Choir and Berklee College of Music.
But it's with Streepz—the award-winning female duo she co-founded under the stage name Emj with vocalist Sah-Yah (Saya Suzuki)—that Nishida fully unleashes her crossover vision. Winners of the 2021 Universal Music Award, their single “Soliloquy" was honored by Tower Records, while “Day Dreamy" received a “power push" from USEN, Japan's premier music distributor.
The duo is poised for major international exposure in 2026. They prepare to star at Washington D.C.'s Sakura Matsuri, presented by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC. As the most prominent Japanese outdoor cultural event in the United States, this centerpiece of the world-famous National Cherry Blossom Festival represents the pinnacle of Japanese cultural celebration in America.
Later that year, Streepz will also make its Taiwanese debut at Taipei's trendy Yuppy Bookstore—Art Reading Cafe jazz series. Hailed as one of Taipei's most popular crossover venues credited with attracting younger audiences to jazz, the duo will present their “Soliloquy" concert program featuring all-new jazz arrangements of their award-winning repertoire. Nishida's innovative rearrangements promise to breathe fresh life into Streepz signature songs while honoring their original appeal.
Simultaneously, Nishida continues her groundbreaking collaboration as music director and lead orchestrator for award-winning composer Yuki Kanesaka. One of their most prominent projects, the concert productions and audiobooks based on the “Dr. Stone" manga/anime phenomenon, builds upon a franchise that has sold over 10 million copies and won three Crunchyroll Anime Awards, with these musical adaptations extending the legacy of the Shogakukan Manga Award-winning series. Another standout achievement was Nishida's orchestration of KANESAKA’s music for the 2024 stage production “Kawagoe Boys Sing" at Tokyo's prestigious Theater H in Shinagawa, starring acclaimed Japanese actor-singer Toshiyuki Someya in the lead role.
From the jazz-inflected writing of her teenage compositions to these genre-defying crossover music achievements, Emi Nishida represents the vanguard of contemporary music—where the boundaries between classical precision, jazz improvisation, pop sensibility, and anime storytelling not only blur but dissolve into new artistic possibilities. As she approaches her 2026 international performances while balancing these multiple creative roles, one certainty emerges: the music world will continue witnessing outstanding innovations from this multifaceted artist.
The Making of a Prodigy
Born in Kanagawa in 1993, Nishida's extraordinary gifts manifested astonishingly early. At just six years old, she became one of the youngest composers ever selected for the prestigious Yamaha Junior Original Concert—a showcase reserved for Japan's most promising young musical talents.Her teenage years revealed an artist already developing a distinctive voice that blended classical discipline with jazz-inflected creativity. In 2010, her composition “Rhapsody" for xylophone, marimba and flute demonstrated remarkable maturity, earning the silver award at the Tokyo High School Ensemble Contest. The piece's writing—with its fluid, improvisatory lines and unexpected harmonic turns—already hinted at the jazz sensibility that would later become her trademark.
That same year, her four-hand piano work “Into the Wild" received the Special Chairman Award at the International Piano Duo Competition, showcasing her gift for intricate counterpoint and rhythmic vitality.
Berklee Years: The Rise of a Multifaceted Artist
After attending Tokyo Gakugei University as the sole Musicology student, Nishida's talent earned her a merit scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston—where her unique musical voice blossomed on the world stage. Even as a student, she was handpicked to join an elite team of composers and conductors working on Universal Studios' The Man Who Laughs. In 2017, she received the prestigious Berklee Alf Clausen Award, named for the legendary Simpsons composer—a perfect recognition for an artist whose work similarly transcends conventional genre boundaries while her 2019 honorable mention at Japan's Sound Creator of the Year competition signaled her arrival as a composer of national prominence.That same year, she received a call from The Rebecca Clarke Society asking her to work on a special project: orchestrating and editing Rebecca Clarke's famous “Sonata for Viola and Piano." The British-American Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) was one of the first female professional orchestral players and composers in music history. Preparing her sonata for public performances to mark the centennial year of this renowned composition was a fitting role for Nishida, continuing the historical legacy of breaking barriers in music.
Nishida's own orchestral work “Han-gover Square" earned an Honorable Mention at The American Prize in Composition 2021, while her evocative “In the Night, We Saw a Shadow" was a finalist at Dartmouth College's Wind Ensemble Composition Competition, receiving its world premiere at Boston's historic Jordan Hall—a venue that has hosted everyone from Duke Ellington to Keith Jarrett.
Crossing Over: Pop, Jazz & Beyond
Nishida's versatility shines in her crossover work. In 2021, she composed and orchestrated for SixTONES—one of Japan's most popular boy bands known for their dynamic performances and chart-topping hits—on their nationwide arena tour 'on eST', proving her ability to craft music that moves massive audiences. Her selection as a Top 10 composer at the Oticons Faculty Film Music Competition in 2022 further cemented her international reputation while her 2023 performance as lead pianist for the Boston City Singers' Resilience Tour at the prestigious Shalin Liu Performance Center showcased her jazz mastery through a stunning rearrangement of “Lullaby of Birdland" that honored the tune's bebop roots while adding fresh harmonic complexity.This remarkable range extends to her academic roles. Nishida holds two prestigious positions simultaneously: as pianist for the award-winning Wellesley College Choir since 2019, and as Berklee College of Music's Senior Staff Pianist since 2021, where she has led labs for the Musical Theater, Dance, and Voice Departments. Her unparalleled ability to sight-read and transpose any piece across genres—from classical and Broadway to jazz, R&B and hip-hop—has made her indispensable to both the Wellesley College Choir and Berklee College of Music.
Kakinishi & Streepz: Pushing Creative Boundaries
With Kakinishi, her own unique piano duo with Takumi Kakimoto, Nishida explores new dimensions of four-hand repertoire. Their composition “Ganymede, the Cupbearer" earned praise from Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, with its impressionistic textures and subtle jazz influences.But it's with Streepz—the award-winning female duo she co-founded under the stage name Emj with vocalist Sah-Yah (Saya Suzuki)—that Nishida fully unleashes her crossover vision. Winners of the 2021 Universal Music Award, their single “Soliloquy" was honored by Tower Records, while “Day Dreamy" received a “power push" from USEN, Japan's premier music distributor.
The duo is poised for major international exposure in 2026. They prepare to star at Washington D.C.'s Sakura Matsuri, presented by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC. As the most prominent Japanese outdoor cultural event in the United States, this centerpiece of the world-famous National Cherry Blossom Festival represents the pinnacle of Japanese cultural celebration in America.
Later that year, Streepz will also make its Taiwanese debut at Taipei's trendy Yuppy Bookstore—Art Reading Cafe jazz series. Hailed as one of Taipei's most popular crossover venues credited with attracting younger audiences to jazz, the duo will present their “Soliloquy" concert program featuring all-new jazz arrangements of their award-winning repertoire. Nishida's innovative rearrangements promise to breathe fresh life into Streepz signature songs while honoring their original appeal.
The Future Sounds Bright
As a voting member of the World Soundtrack Awards, Nishida helps shape the evolution of global music. Her upcoming position as Lead Composer for Storyblocks (owned by Footage Firm, Inc.) places her at the helm of one of the industry's most innovative audio platforms. This subscription-based service, providing royalty-free music and sound effects to clients ranging from Canon USA to BuzzFeed and NBCUniversal, has earned impressive accolades: named to the Inc. 5000 list, recognized among Washington D.C.'s Top Workplaces by The Washington Post, and voted #1 Stock Music Provider on G2's 2024 Best Software List. Headquartered in Arlington, VA, Storyblocks represents another prestigious platform for Nishida's creative vision.Simultaneously, Nishida continues her groundbreaking collaboration as music director and lead orchestrator for award-winning composer Yuki Kanesaka. One of their most prominent projects, the concert productions and audiobooks based on the “Dr. Stone" manga/anime phenomenon, builds upon a franchise that has sold over 10 million copies and won three Crunchyroll Anime Awards, with these musical adaptations extending the legacy of the Shogakukan Manga Award-winning series. Another standout achievement was Nishida's orchestration of KANESAKA’s music for the 2024 stage production “Kawagoe Boys Sing" at Tokyo's prestigious Theater H in Shinagawa, starring acclaimed Japanese actor-singer Toshiyuki Someya in the lead role.
From the jazz-inflected writing of her teenage compositions to these genre-defying crossover music achievements, Emi Nishida represents the vanguard of contemporary music—where the boundaries between classical precision, jazz improvisation, pop sensibility, and anime storytelling not only blur but dissolve into new artistic possibilities. As she approaches her 2026 international performances while balancing these multiple creative roles, one certainty emerges: the music world will continue witnessing outstanding innovations from this multifaceted artist.
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