Renée Hikari brings a distinctive blend of East and West to the music industry as an NYC-based drummer, recording engineer, and founder of boutique A&R and Artist Services company, Sono Hikari. Born in Tokyo and raised in Queens, her multicultural perspective shapes her approach to artist development and global market strategy.

As a recording engineer at Sun Mountain Studio in Woodstock, NY, Renée has collaborated with acclaimed producer David Baron on projects featuring artists including Shania Twain, The Lumineers, Wesley Schultz, P!nk, David Kushner, Melanie De Biasio, and Beth Gibbons.

Her engineering expertise extends to film scoring, where she served as engineer and editor for the highly anticipated follow-up to Gregory Colbert's "Ashes and Snow.” Her recording sessions have captured performances by distinguished artists such as Laurence Fishburne, Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Greg Gonzalez of Cigarettes After Sex, Steve Gadd, and Tony Levin, among others.

Drawing from her extensive studio experience and deep artist relationships, Renée founded Sono Hikari to address a gap she observed in the industry. The company specializes in helping artists refine their creative voice, elevate their brand presence, and develop strategic pathways for career growth across international markets, with particular expertise in bridging opportunities between Japan and the United States.