Praised by The New York Times for music of “grandiloquent beauty that transitions easily from grooves to big cascades to buoyant swing,” Tokyo-born, New York-based composer and violinist Meg Okura has emerged as a distinctive voice in contemporary jazz. In 2025, she marks the 20th anniversary of her Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble (PACJE) with the release of Isaiah, the group’s fifth album, alongside the world premiere of her Shaon Overture (The Clock Overture), commissioned by the 68-piece Symphonic Jazz Orchestra as winner of the George Duke Commissioning Prize.

An acclaimed classical virtuoso from an early age, she toured internationally as soloist and concertmaster—including a Kennedy Center debut—before expanding her artistry into jazz and composition, working with Michael Brecker, Lee Konitz, Steve Swallow, Tom Harrell, David Bowie, and Pharaoh’s Daughter. Okura’s career has been recognized with many of today’s most significant honors for jazz artists, awarded by Chamber Music America, ISJAC, Jazz Road, and the Asian Cultural Council. Her recordings—including IMA IMA, Lingering with Kevin Hays, and NPO Trio Live at the Stone—have received international acclaim.