About

Short Bio

Born in Tokyo in 1996, Otohito Fuse grew up in a musical family and was introduced to music from an early age. He became drawn to jazz in high school after encountering the music of Bill Evans, and began playing jazz piano upon entering the University of Tokyo, where he joined the university’s jazz society.

In 2017, he joined the Keio Light Music Society (Big Band) and performed at the Yamano Big Band Jazz Contest, where the band won First Prize and he received the Outstanding Soloist Award. After completing his M.Sc. in Mathematical Sciences at the University of Tokyo, he began performing actively throughout the Tokyo metropolitan area.

He released his debut album Isolated in 2024, followed by his second album Thus Have I Heard in 2025.

Long Bio

Born in Tokyo in 1996, Otohito Fuse grew up in a musical family and was immersed in music from an early age. He began studying classical piano at the age of four under Chie Mori, and developed an interest in mathematics during his elementary school years.

He started playing the flute at twelve and performed in his school wind band from his first year of junior high through his second year of high school. He was also a member of a mathematics study group, where he and fellow enthusiasts held reading sessions on texts such as Crowell & Fox’s Introduction to Knot Theory. During high school, he was deeply moved by Bill Evans’s Waltz for Debby and Consecrations, which inspired him to pursue jazz performance.

In 2014, upon entering the University of Tokyo, Fuse joined the University of Tokyo Jazz Society. He became deeply influenced by musicians such as Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, and Lyle Mays. He honed his skills through sessions with players from various university jazz societies as well as at venues such as Takadanobaba intro, beginning his performance activities while still a student, frequently serving as a jam session host.

In 2017, he joined the Keio Light Music Society (Big Band) and performed at the Yamano Big Band Jazz Contest, where the band won First Prize and he received the Outstanding Soloist Award. In 2018, he participated in the Seiko Summer Jazz Camp and received the Excellence Award in Composition & Arrangement.

At university, he studied low-dimensional topology with a particular focus on knot theory, earning his B.Sc. in Mathematics from the University of Tokyo in March 2019 and his M.Sc. in Mathematical Sciences in March 2021. After completing his studies, he shifted away from mathematics and began working as an IT engineer while actively performing throughout jazz venues in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

In March 2024, he released his debut trio album Isolated on his own label, OFM, featuring bassist Riku Takahashi and drummer Kaito Nakamura. Since late 2020, the trio has built a close musical rapport through continuous collaboration, earning praise for its free, delicate, and cohesive interplay. Isolated consists entirely of Fuse’s original compositions, with album photography and design also created by Fuse himself, resulting in a fully self-produced work. Its interplay of landscape photography, lyrical compositions, and imaginative improvisation has been well received.

In October 2025, he will release his second album, Thus Have I Heard, also on OFM. Taking its title from the traditional opening phrase of Buddhist scriptures, the album includes several pieces inspired by spiritual and philosophical concepts, extending the ideas explored in his first album while venturing into deeper and more universal realms.

Contact

For booking and inquiries, please contact:
otohitofusemusic@gmail.com