MAO SONE
BIOGRAPHY
MAO SONE
Mao Sone is a rare and versatile multi-instrumentalist who has garnered international acclaim as a "Jazz Dual-Threat"—a virtuoso on both the trumpet and the piano. An accomplished performer, composer, and producer, he has established a unique presence in the global music scene through his innovative blend of tradition and modernity.
Born into a musical family—his paternal grandmother was a Shamisen player and his maternal grandmother was a former jazz cafe owner—Sone began his journey with classical piano at an early age. His fascination with improvisation and music theory grew rapidly, leading him to take up the trumpet at age eight, inspired by the legendary Louis Armstrong. By age nine, he was already performing in his hometown of Nagareyama, Chiba, and soon found himself sharing the stage with jazz masters such as Terumasa Hino and Ray Bryant. He made his professional debut in his senior year of high school, performing alongside Norio Maeda and Takeshi Inomata.
In 2010, Sone moved to the United States to attend Berklee College of Music on a full-tuition scholarship. After graduating at the top of his class in 2014, he became a member of the inaugural class of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute’s master’s program, completing his degree with the highest honors (Summa Cum Laude) in 2016. During his time at Berklee, he studied under giants such as Tiger Okoshi, Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Sean Jones, and Hal Crook, and performed at prestigious festivals including Newport, Montreal, Monterey, and Toronto.
His competitive accolades are equally distinguished: he won the International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Jazz Improvisation Competition in 2014 and was named a finalist in the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition later that year. In 2016, he won the "Keep an Eye" International Jazz Award. In 2017, he led his own band at legendary venues such as Blue Note New York and Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. That same year, he began his career as an educator, serving as a faculty member for the Berklee Global Jazz Workshop at the Newport Jazz Festival.
In 2018, Sone made his major-label debut with the self-produced double album Infinite Creature (Pony Canyon). While expanding his activities globally from his base in Tokyo, he starred in the 2020 film Trumpet (directed by Kevin Haefelin), which won numerous awards at international film festivals. Sone also served as the film's music director, earning critical acclaim for his score.
In 2022, he released the album Brightness of the Lives (Reborn Wood) with his long-standing quartet featuring Mei Inoue (gt), Ren Yamamoto (b), and Hiro Kimura (ds). The project was featured on the cover of JAZZ JAPAN magazine and led to sold-out release shows at Blue Note Tokyo and Billboard Live Osaka.
In 2023, he released his first solo piano album, Plays Standards, and embarked on a successful Blue Note tour in China, performing in Shanghai and Beijing. He also launched the duo unit "MAOSHO" with Tsugaru Shamisen virtuoso Sho Asano, releasing a single under the Avex label. Their track "Hibiki" was selected as the theme for MBS TV’s "Otenki-bu," and their performance in New York was covered by local media, drawing international attention.
As a composer and arranger, Sone has contributed to high-profile projects for Danilo Pérez (Jazz 100), Wayne Shorter (the opera Iphigenia), and Terri Lyne Carrington (Nat King Cole Christmas). In 2024, he served as the piano consultant and composed/performed music for the Netflix series Beyond Goodbye, demonstrating his versatility across cinematic and digital media.
In 2025, Sone performed at the opening ceremony of EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai. That same year, he released Eight Little Pieces, a fusion of jazz and large ensemble that serves as a culmination of his musical journey to date. He continues to push the boundaries of music, constantly presenting new possibilities as a truly global artist.