Profile
Roy Futaba (formerly. Ryoju F) is a Jazz saxophone anomaly, recognized as delivering a vibrant timbre based on his distinct musicality, which relieves and amuses a wide range of audiences.
He was born into a musical family in Kyoto, Japan in April 1986. Gaining a skill of a lyrical tone reminiscent of Stan Getz, Roy had been known as one of potential leading Jazz saxophonists.
Accordingly, in March 2013, Roy visited San Francisco to participate in the Jazz competition ‘’Jazz Search West 2013’’. He won First Place the following month at the finals. As the prize, Ryoju received full tuition to the summer camp ‘’Jazz Camp West 2013’’. In the Camp, he performed in one of the faculty concerts as a guest saxophonist with Elio Villafranca, Allison Miller, Ratzo B. Harris.
In November 2013, Roy moved to the New York City vicinity to discipline himself, and study Jazz as a music based on American culture. In March 2015, Roy was accepted to the Manhattan School of Music. And also, he was transferred to CUNY Queens College, Aaron Copland School of Music. Then he graduated with the degree of Master of Music in Jazz Study in 2018.
Roy was invited to join “George Gershwin International Music Competition2017 in New York” as a Classical-Jazz saxophonist, and won third prize in Winds and Brass category in the competition.
In March 2018, as a composer, sound designer, music director, Roy was selected for composing and designing an original main theme song for Japanese Kids’ school in New Jersey “The Kids International Weekend School, Inc.”. He contributed his all musical and engineering abilities into the song called, “Imadokino-Aiueo”.
He has been performing at wide variety music venues and restaurants in the city, such as Swing 46, Ornithology Jazz Club, Hamilton Bar & Kitchen, Groove, Pianos, Tomi Jazz, Brooklyn Bowl, Gramercy Park Hotel, Shrine, Silvana, The Bitter End, and Giando on the Water, ZAVO restaurants.
Roy has become an official endorser of the saxophone maker, Forestone Japan, and has been playing the Forestone Saxophone.
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