Who am I?

That is probably a lifelong question for everyone. Trying to understand who I am may be part of the meaning of life itself.

I consider myself a creative person, but I do not use the word “creative” lightly. Today, creating things has become easier, faster, more convenient, and more shareable. Often, the goal is to make something that gets immediate attention or goes viral. I am not against that, but it is not really what motivates me.

For me, there is a difference between looking at something for a second and spending time with it. I like art and music that make me stop, observe, feel, think, and let the experience settle somewhere inside my brain and body.

I like creating my own art and music, but I also enjoy the process behind it: developing an idea, making a plan, solving problems, building things step by step, and seeing a project through to the end. I find a lot of satisfaction in being able to take responsibility for many parts of a project myself.

At the same time, I consider myself a good collaborator.

Over the years, I have worked in very different environments. I worked at a Disney theme park in Tokyo for three years, worked as a translator for a CNN documentary channel, and have collaborated with musicians, performers, architects, artists, and other creative people on composition, arranging, performances, exhibitions, and other projects.

Working across different fields has taught me that a good idea is only the beginning. You also need to communicate clearly, listen carefully, understand what other people need, adapt when something changes, and find practical ways to make an idea real.

I like people, especially people who are curious, open-minded, kind, observant, and willing to have a real conversation. Those are also the qualities I look for in the people I collaborate with.

I like being social, and I also like being completely private. I need both. I think most things in life are about finding the right balance.

I naturally choose environments where people can meet, exchange ideas, and treat each other with respect and understanding, while also respecting each other’s space and privacy. Today, I live in a small community in Brooklyn where I know many of the people around me, and where conversation, creativity, and everyday life naturally overlap.

I make music. I make art. I build things. I like ideas, but I also like figuring out how to make those ideas work.

That is probably the simplest way I can describe myself.

Art of the Misspelling

Personal Archive

A growing collection of the many creative ways my name has been misspelled at coffee shops since I moved to the United States. What began as a small frustration gradually became a funny visual archive of language, misunderstanding, and everyday encounters.

Movie List

Film | Personal Collection

A personal list of films, television series, animation, and musicals that I have enjoyed over the years. Rather than rankings or reviews, it is an evolving collection of stories, filmmakers, styles, and strange discoveries that have stayed with me for one reason or another.

Listening History

Music | Personal Archive

A chronological collection of the music that has stayed with me since childhood. From Disney park music and jazz to classical, film scores, musicals, and unexpected discoveries, these albums trace how my listening habits, tastes, and musical curiosity have changed over time.

NYC Spot

New York | Personal Guide

A personal collection of places in New York that I genuinely return to and recommend, from restaurants and old bars to museums, cinemas, architecture, and slightly unusual corners of the city. Not a definitive guide, just the New York I like.

Biography as Composer,

Pianist and Arranger

Tetsuro Hoshii is a Japanese composer, pianist, and arranger based in Brooklyn, New York. His music and arrangements have been heard at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Tanglewood, and Carnegie Hall, and performed by musicians of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Moving freely between contemporary jazz, chamber music, improvisation, and American musical traditions, his work is defined by a strong melodic identity, rhythmic curiosity, and an instinct for bringing different musical worlds together.

In 2023, Hoshii co-arranged America the Beautiful / Lift Every Voice and Sing with John Sheppard for the US Open Men’s Singles Final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The arrangement was performed by Grammy Award-winning baritone Will Liverman, Metropolitan Opera Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin on piano, and members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and was broadcast live on ESPN.

His concert music has been performed at Tanglewood and in New York by ensembles including Decoda and the New York Symphonic Brass. His collaboration with the Boston Cello Quartet, formed by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, began with the world premiere of Waltz of the Black Ants at Tanglewood in 2011. The work was later recorded on the quartet’s album Pictures, which reached the iTunes Classical Top 50. Hoshii went on to write additional works for the ensemble, including The Life of Birds and Four Crayons.