Kazuki Takemura is a New York-based bassist and composer originally from Ehime, Japan. Starting at 15, he began a life-long passion for music. After attending Kwansei Gakuin University, he studied with Kosuke Inoue and David Wong while performing in the Osaka/Kobe area. In 2017 Kazuki moved to Michigan to pursue a Performance Diploma at Michigan State University under Rodney Whitaker, as well as a Master of Music degree at Western Michigan University with John Hébert. 

Kazuki has been leading his own group and performed alongside artists such as Matt Wilson, Jeff Lederer, Steve Wilson, Miki Yamanaka, Joel Frahm, Gary Versace, Kirk Knuffke, Itamar Borochov, Randy Napoleon, Leroy Williams, Luis Bonilla, Wessell "Warmdaddy" Anderson, Rick Roe, Takuya Kuroda, Davis Whitfield, Caleb Wheeler Curtis, Santiago Leibson and more. He has performed at Bar Bayeux, Ornithology, Cellar Dog(Fat Cat), Nublu, Bitter End, Detroit Jazz Festival, Michigan Jazz Festival, Jazz Education Network(JEN), Fox 2 News, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, among others. 

Kazuki teaches bass lessons and ensembles at Long Island University as an adjunct professor. He awarded “Co-Winner of Graduate College Small Jazz Combo” from downbeat magazine in 2021.