Bio

Tokyo native Rika Muranaka came to Chicago to study jazz piano with Alan Swain while still in her teens. Her talents were quickly recognized, and soon Muranaka was working with some of the most highly regarded figures in the jazz world, including Woody Shaw, Stan Kenton, Art Blakey and Freddie Hubbard. Upon graduating from Northeastern Illinois University, Rika returned to Japan as a rapidly maturing recording artist. Critical reviews of her performances led to a contract with Columbia Records, and a dual career as a producer and artist.

Rika recently completed production on her new CD, Slice of Life, which features vocalist Dwight Dukes, Cynthia Harrell, and Stephanie B, and has collaborated with Grammy-nominated songwriter, Michael Caruso. As composers from previous eras have done, Rika Muranka looked for alternative outlets for her talents. Sensing that her skills could be applied within the booming computer entertainment industry, Rika developed a relationship with Konami, one of the major players in Japan's video game industry.

In the last seven years, Rika has composed and produced themes to some of Konami's most successful and award-winning AAA game titles. Rika Muranaka has worked on projects such
as Silent Hill, the renowned Metal Gear Solid and the sequels Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater, and
Guns of the Patriots, and has played a fundamental role in shaping the tone of dramatic onscreen events, which elevated the cinematic experience for gamers worldwide. She has collaborated with fellow Hollywood film composer Harry Gregson-Williams at the Remote Control studio in Venice Beach California, and also worked on music to the 2007 feature-length film Broken English.

Far from selling out, Muranaka’s work with Konami has allowed her to bring some of the top jazz artists in the industry into the fold, including Gerald Albright, Kevin Eubanks and Hubert Laws. Rika Muranaka successfully combines her abilities as a performer, composer, and producer, into one unique package. Following her artistic flair without compromise, she has managed to apply her talents in a variety of areas and has become one of the most intriguing artists of her time.