Yusuke Ishihara began teaching himself electric bass at the age of 14. After graduating from high school, he entered Koyo Conservatory of Music, where he started playing double bass at the age of 19. He studied jazz bass under Hatsumi Ueyamazaki.

While still in school, he passed the Berklee College of Music scholarship audition and enrolled at Berklee in 1998. There, he studied jazz bass under Barry Smith, Whit Browne, Paul Del Nero, and Dave Hollender. In 2001, he was honored with the Elvin Jones Award.

During his time at Berklee, he performed at numerous jazz clubs, and after graduating in 2002, he continued his professional activities based in Boston.

He returned to Japan in 2003 and moved his base of operations to Tokyo.

In April 2011, he entered the diploma program at Toho Gakuen School of Music, studying double bass under Masanori Ichikawa. He graduated in March 2014.

In 2015, he formed a duo unit with guitar called DUOSUKE, releasing their first album Acoustic Session on February 18, 2016.

In December 2016, he won both the Gold Prize and the Soloist Award in the band division of the 36th Asakusa Jazz Contest.

In 2019, he formed the Yusuke Ishihara Trio, a piano trio that blends straight-ahead and contemporary jazz, featuring original compositions that cross multiple genres. Their first album, Dig Into Jazz, was released in March 2021. The trio actively performs, primarily at Shinjuku PIT INN.

Since 2022, he has been a regular performer in the Music Workshop Concerts (musical concerts) organized by Tokyo Bunka Kaikan.

As an Official Artist of PHIL JONES BASS, Yusuke Ishihara is a highly skilled bassist, proficient in pizzicato, arco (bowing), and electric bass across genres such as jazz, classical, and musical theatre.

Starting September 2025, he will begin working as a bass instructor at Rugby School Japan.