Ryota Sasaki Quintet
Ryota Sasaki
Image courtesy of the artist
Japan-born saxophonist, composer, and woodwind player Ryota Sasaki is based between the East Coast of the US and Tokyo.
Sasaki has collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Hiromi Uehara, James Francies, Steve Wilson, Miguel Zenón, and Ingrid Jensen, and leads his own small band and 17-piece big band.
A full-scholarship recipient at Berklee College of Music, Sasaki earned his Bachelor of Music degree in jazz composition and Master of Music degree in contemporary performance at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, studying under Danilo Pérez, George Garzone, and Bob Pilkington.
His compositions have earned the Thelonious Monk Award, an honorable mention from the Jazz Education Network, and a DownBeat Magazine Outstanding Performance Award. Active internationally, Sasaki performs across the US, Japan, and Europe, and continues to work in media music, contributing to projects such as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Dr. Stone, and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Ryota Sasaki Quintet will be performing as part of Berklee’s Summer in the City 2026 concert series. View series schedule.