Jazz composer and violinist, Meg Okura, is the recipient of the 2018 Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works Program, and the 2020 Copland House Residency Awards.
Native of Tokyo, Okura toured all of Asia as the soloist of the Asian Youth Orchestra as a teen. She moved to New York after making her solo debut at Kennedy Center in 1992. She earned B.M. and M.M. from Juilliard and made a difficult switch to jazz upon graduation.
Her ensemble has performed at Winter JazzFest, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Blue Note New York, KL Jazz Festival (Malaysia), and Kennedy Center.
Okura's credit appears on nearly 100 recordings, including David Bowie, Lee Konitz, Diane Reeves, and she has toured with Michael Brecker, Steve Swallow, Tom Harrell, Cirque du Soleil, and others.
In 2018, she placed No. 6 Jazz Violinist in the International Critics Polls. Meg Okura won the 2021 Jazz Road Creative Residency Awards.
