The first live show of the new year, with “Senri JAZZ” in Nishinomiya. Senri Oe, a jazz pianist based in New York, will tour Japan from Friday, January 8 to Sunday, February 7, 2027 with his New Year Piano Concert “YOU BELONG TO ME – Okaeri” (“welcome back”). The Kansai date is Sunday, January 17, at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center (Hankyu Middle Hall) in Nishinomiya.
A New Year version of the summer tour’s “Senri JAZZ”
In summer 2026, Oe toured major classical concert halls across Japan to a strong response. This New Year concert boldly reworks that summer solo show, with a rebuilt set list and new special medleys.
A signature of the stage is the audience singing along as the piano plays. It is a tour-specific style that adds the crowd’s voices to what the concert describes as “Senri JAZZ”, music that combines energy and lyricism. He will also play new highlights from his latest album “HOMEWORK”, which has drawn attention in Japanese and US media.
Children’s choirs and the Kwansei Gakuin Women’s Glee Club join in
Choirs are the other highlight. Children’s choirs from around the country will sing “Friend”, and the Kwansei Gakuin Women’s Glee Club (Nishinomiya) will perform “Magao”. The piano and the voices are said to blend with a touch of bittersweetness to create a deep world of sound.
The choirs named include the Kwansei Gakuin Women’s Glee Club and the Takarazuka Children’s Choir. The Nishinomiya show is supported by Yumebanchi, with FM COCOLO and Radio Kansai as backers, a line-up familiar to Kansai music fans.
From first generation to third
Oe first ran through the era as a pop singer-songwriter (the “first generation”). At 47 he moved to the US alone and became a jazz pianist (the “second”). He now calls himself the “third-generation Senri Oe”, freely blending pop and jazz. The concert is billed as a portrayal of where he is now and the musical possibilities ahead.
Concert information (Kansai)
- Concert: Senri Oe New Year Piano Concert “YOU BELONG TO ME – Okaeri”
- Date: Sunday, January 17, 2027. Doors 13:00 / Start 13:30
- Venue: Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Hankyu Middle Hall (Nishinomiya, Hyogo)
- Performers: Senri Oe (choirs: Kwansei Gakuin Women’s Glee Club, Takarazuka Children’s Choir and others)
- Tickets: ¥7,000 (all seats reserved, special program included, tax included)
- General sale: from 10:00 on Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Inquiries: YUMEBANCHI (Osaka) 06-6341-3525 (weekdays 12:00–17:00)
- National tour: from Friday, January 8, 2027 (Kanagawa) to Sunday, February 7 (Shimonoseki)
- Concert website (Japanese): https://classics-festival.com/rc/performance/oe-senri-2027/
