Born in 1980 in Osaka, Japan, jazz saxophonist Akihiro ‘Aki’ Nishiguchi originally began studying classical piano at the age of 5 years old before switching to the saxophone at the age of 12. He studied at Ritsumeikan University and Konan University before receiving a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in 2003. Moving to Boston, Massachusetts, he joined Berklee’s Concert Jazz Orchestra. He moved to New York after leaving Berklee and became an active member of the jazz scene there. In 2010, after four years in New York, he moved back to Tokyo, releasing his debut album Tre Agrable. His second album, Pingo, was released in 2013. The following year, Nishiguchi was selected as a member of the Blue Note 75th Anniversary Live band, and appeared at the jazz venue Blue Note Tokyo. In 2020, he released the album Fotos, the debut from his newly formed outfit the Akihiro Nishiguchi Group.
