Noriko Ueda　 jazz bassist/composer/arranger

Originally from Hyogo, Japan, Noriko Ueda began studying piano at age four and electric bass at sixteen, later switching to upright bass to pursue her passion for jazz. She studied jazz composition at Berklee College of Music and, after graduating, moved to New York City, where she built her career as a performer, composer and arranger..

Ueda tours internationally with Artemis, named DownBeat’s “Jazz Group of the Year” for three consecutive years. Their third album, Arboresque (Blue Note Records, 2025), topped the JazzWeek national radio chart for five consecutive weeks and was featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts.  She has performed with the Ted Rosenthal Trio for more than 20 years, completing over ten tours in Japan; their album Out of This World reached No. 1 on national jazz radio charts. Her own leader album, Debut (Terashima Records, 2015), highlights her work as a composer and bandleader.

A longtime member of the DIVA Jazz Orchestra and an active member of the Birdland Big Band, Ueda has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Village Vanguard. She received BMI’s Charlie Parker Award for big band composition. She has served on the faculty of at SUNY Purchase College since 2022.​

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