Junko Moriya studied at the Waseda University and completed her postgraduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music. Then she as a jazz pianist proceeded to concert activities in Europe and the USA. In 1997 she presented her debut composition My Favorite Colors. Since 2000 her Junko Moriya Orchestra began to be financed by the Foundation for Development of Culture and Arts.
In 2005 her composition Points of Departure was released and given an award at the 18th PEN International Piano Competition. In the same year Junko Moriya became the first Asian woman who won a prize at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition. The award ceremony took place in the Kennedy Center in Washington and was on everyone’s lips in Japan and the USA.
In 2008 Junko Moriya together with her own quartet appeared on the stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival in the USA and gave concerts in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Then they toured in France. Since 2014 she has annually appeared in Saint Petersburg.
In 2018, she released the album Art in Motion.
Junko Moriya is also an active teacher and educator, a jury member of the jazz competitions Yamano Big Band and Asakusa Jazz, and leader of student jazz bands. Currently, she teaches at the Showa Academy of Music and at the Shobi private university of music.
