Bio
Haruhi Kobayashi is a Chicago-based musician and sound artist. Originally from Tokyo, Haruhi began her career as a Japanese-pop singer-songwriter, releasing solo albums and composing for TV and film. Throughout her formative years in the Japanese pop industry, she became interested in the underlying social and emotional connotations and conditions of her own voice and the inextricable ties between one’s voice and their identity. She started to manipulate her voice into unidentifiable sounds, liberating it from its “human” constraints. Her recent body of work navigates the liminal space between the voice and its identity, and the simplicity and joys of songwriting with themes of tradition, love, fear, and humanity. Her work intersects experimental pop, classical composition and avant-garde songwriting through voice, bass, and electronics. She invites audiences to engage with both familiar and unexpected sonic textures. She is currently the High Concept Labs FAR resident 2025.
Photo:
June 22nd 2023, Constellation, Chicago IL
Chicago Film Archive Media Mixer, partnered with Zachary Hutchinson
Photo by CFA
Upcoming
2025 Co-MISSION Festival of New Works
Amanda Maraist’s “FOLK”
Links Hall | Chicago, IL
June 18 (Wed), 2025 | 7:00pm
June 29 (Sun) | 7:00pm
https://www.amandamaraist.com/folk-2025
https://www.linkshall.org/upcoming-events/co-mission-festival-june-18-amanda-maraist
https://www.linkshall.org/upcoming-events/co-mission-festival-june-29-amanda-maraist
Amanda Maraist’s “FOLK”
Links Hall | Chicago, IL
June 18 (Wed), 2025 | 7:00pm
June 29 (Sun) | 7:00pm
https://www.amandamaraist.com/folk-2025
https://www.linkshall.org/upcoming-events/co-mission-festival-june-18-amanda-maraist
https://www.linkshall.org/upcoming-events/co-mission-festival-june-29-amanda-maraist
The Curls // TRAYSH // Paige Alice Naylor & Haruhi Kobayashi
Color Club Tavern | Chicago, IL
Jul 12 (Sat), 2025 | 8:00pm
https://link.dice.fm/Kcde19629297
Color Club Tavern | Chicago, IL
Jul 12 (Sat), 2025 | 8:00pm
https://link.dice.fm/Kcde19629297
Dear Steve... It’s Allie
SteppenWolf | Chicago, IL
Aug 8-9 (Fri-Sat), 2025
https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets--events/lookout/25-summer/dear-steve/
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SteppenWolf | Chicago, IL
Aug 8-9 (Fri-Sat), 2025
https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets--events/lookout/25-summer/dear-steve/
Previous
CLEAT Series: Kate In, Leech/Clapp, Laurentse
Elastic Arts | Chicago, IL
Jun 13 (Fri), 2025 | 8:00pm
https://elasticarts.org/events/cleat-series-kate-in-leechclapp-laurentse
Elastic Arts | Chicago, IL
Jun 13 (Fri), 2025 | 8:00pm
https://elasticarts.org/events/cleat-series-kate-in-leechclapp-laurentse
Elastic Arts 7th Annual Benefit
Elastic Arts | Chicago, IL
May 10 (Sat), 2025 | 7:00pm
https://elasticarts.org/events/elastic-arts-7th-annual-benefit
Elastic Arts | Chicago, IL
May 10 (Sat), 2025 | 7:00pm
https://elasticarts.org/events/elastic-arts-7th-annual-benefit
KYLYN AAPI Arts & Culture Festival
Ann Arbor District Library | Ann Arbor, MI
May 16 (Fri), 2025 | 6:00pm
https://www.kylynfest.com/
Ann Arbor District Library | Ann Arbor, MI
May 16 (Fri), 2025 | 6:00pm
https://www.kylynfest.com/
Making Multichannel Music
Elastic Arts | Chicago, IL
May 20th (Tue), 2025 | 7:30pm
https://elasticarts.org/events/making-multichannel-music-w-haruhi
Elastic Arts | Chicago, IL
May 20th (Tue), 2025 | 7:30pm
https://elasticarts.org/events/making-multichannel-music-w-haruhi
Select Works
Elastic Arts | Chicago, IL
October 13 2024
Ft. Melon Sprout, Brandon McAlinden, Kim Nucci, Haruhi Kobayashi, Juan Flores, Deirdre Fromberg, Jordan Paine, Slugscape
Recorded at Elastic Arts
Videography by Kishino Takagishi
Audio Recording and Mixing by Evan Watkins
Elastic Arts | Chicago IL
December 2 2024
Ft. Musicians: Paige Brown, Sharon Udoh, Haruhi Kobayashi
Dancers: Gaby Martinez, Sara Zalek
CUSP | Cleveland, OH
September 7, 2024
Ann Arbor District Library | Ann Arbor, MI
May 25 2024
Ft. Kioto Aoki