Akira Kosemura

Solo Piano

$20.00

Releasing October 30. Pre-orders available now.

Akira Kosemura, the acclaimed Japanese composer and pianist and one of the most streamed Japanese classical artists, returns to the instrument at the heart of his music with Solo Piano, his new album out October 30 via Decca Records, with master recording and CD production by SCHOLE.

His first newly recorded solo piano album in three years, following 2023’s SEASONS, Solo Piano sees Kosemura look back across his remarkable body of work and reimagine music originally written for film, television and anime, alongside new compositions. Recorded entirely on a single upright piano, the album strips these pieces back to their essence, creating an intimate dialogue between Kosemura’s past and present.

The album brings together newly reinterpreted versions of music Kosemura has composed for film, television and anime, alongside new original works. Among them are pieces from films including Fragments of the Last Will, True Mothers and The Boys and Dogs, the television drama Meet Me After School, and anime series Honey Lemon Soda and Blue Orchestra.

Personally selecting compositions and recordings that hold particular significance for him, Kosemura revisits his own musical history through the singular voice of the piano. The result is a quiet, contemplative world that connects his past and present, allowing familiar compositions to take on a new life through stripped-back solo performances.

In 2025, Kosemura released the ambitious album MIRAI, featuring seven guest vocalists including Devendra Banhart and Miyuki Hatakeyama. In 2026, he followed with Reach For NAGA, a collaboration with sound engineer Hiroshi Iguchi. With Solo Piano, Kosemura now turns his attention back to the instrument at the heart of his music, bringing together compositions from across his career in a deeply personal new recording.

Music composed, arranged & performed by Akira Kosemura

Piano Technician: Yasuaki Kubota
Recorded by Akira Kosemura at Schole Tokyo
Mixed by Shunroku Hitani at 54it Tokyo
Mastered by Zino Mikorey at Zino Mikorey Mastering Berlin

Photographs: Yusuke Abe
Art direction, artwork & design: Shin Kikuchi (SCHOLE INC.)

Produced by Akira Kosemura

Label A&R: Dan Torigoe (Universal Classics & Jazz)
Marketing planner: Nozomi Matsumoto (Universal Classics & Jazz)
Sales planner: Kaoru Abe (UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC)
Editorial: Midori Shimizu (UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC)

Special thanks to Yuma Saito, All Schole Staffs, Assistants, My family, Asami & Sou.

ONE OF THE MOST STREAMED ASIAN CLASSICAL ARTISTS

Born in Tokyo on June 6, 1985. In 2007, while still a university student, Kosemura made his debut with the solo album It’s On Everything released via an Australian label. That same year, he founded his own record label, Schole Records. Since then, he has consistently released solo albums while establishing a prolific career in composing for film, television, games, stage productions, and commercials.

His major scoring credits include:

Film: Fragments of the Last Will and The Boy and the Dog (Dir. Takahisa Zeze); True Mothers (Dir. Naomi Kawase, Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival); and the Venice Golden Lion-winning director Audrey Diwan’s debut film Losing It.
TV & Media: The Hollywood-produced series Love Is___; the Amazon Original documentary Jonas Brothers: Chasing Happiness; and the U.S. trailer for Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans.
Anime & Games: The Nintendo Switch game Jack Jeanne (produced by Sui Ishida); and the TV anime series Honey Lemon Soda and Blue Orchestra.
In recent years, Kosemura has expanded his boundary-defying activities through collaborations with prestigious international brands and artists. Notable works include the music for the SK-II STUDIO documentary The Center Lane (Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda, featuring Rikako Ikee); runway music for TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. SS22/AW23 collections; and compositions for LA MER BLUE HEART, LAND ROVER, and L’OCCITANE. He has also co-authored music with American artist Devendra Banhart.

Kosemura is a globally recognized composer whose talent has been lauded by major media outlets such as Pitchfork, THE AGE (Australia), FIP (France), and Ici Musique (Canada). In 2017 and 2018, he was ranked among the "Top 10 Most Streamed Japanese Artists Overseas" on Spotify.

In 2022, he signed with the prestigious Decca Records and released his major-label debut album, SEASONS, worldwide. His global influence continues to grow, highlighted by the sampling of his work in John Legend’s track "The Other Ones feat. Rapsody" from the album LEGEND. His latest acclaimed album MIRAI is the highly anticipated album, one of his most challenging and compelling albums to date, MIRAI is his first-ever vocal project album with 7 notable singers.


“It feels impossible to get tired of, circumscribed and boundless at once.”
by Pitchfork

“Fantastic stuff.”
by Gilles Peterson

“Peaceful, evocative music”
by Fact Magazine