Satoshi Yagisawa was born in 1975 and graduated from the Department of Composition at Musashino Academia Musicae. After completing his master's degree he continued research studies for two additional years.
His compositions for wind orchestra are popular in Japan and many other countries. They were introduced in Teaching Music Through Performance in Band published by GIA Publications in the United States, published by De Haske Publications in Holland and Bravo Music in America, selected as a compulsory piece for the University of North Texas Conductors' Collegium, and performed at the 12th World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Singapore and the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. In Japan, he has composed music for National Arbor Day, National Sports Festival, Japan Intra-High School Athletic Meets as well as numerous leading ensembles in Japan. Yagisawa was appointed Ceremonial Music Director for the National Sports Festival 2010 in the State of Chiba, Japan.
Other professional activities include festival adjudication, guest-conducting, teaching, lecturing, writing columns for music magazines and advisory work for a music publisher. He is one of the most energetic composers in Japan today. Currently he teaches wind, string, and percussion instruments at Kobe college & Media Arts, Shobi. He is also a member of "Kyo-En", an organization that premieres outstanding original works by Japanese composers.
Amongst Yagisawa's major works are Machu Picchu: City in the Sky - The mystery of the hidden Sun Temple; and Pompeii, and Zenith of the Maya.
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Amaranthus
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| I composed a chorale themed around "Amaranth," which carries the floral meaning of "immortality; undying," hoping it will be widely embraced in concerts and as material to nurture a love for music. |
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RISING ABOVE - A New Hope |
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| This work is the fourth installment in the series, continuing the same theme of supporting the younger generation as they overcome hardships and challenges to move toward a hopeful future. It is a dramatic and inspiring composition. |
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Sunset Below the Horizon, Flaming Red from the West Symphony
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| The fourth movement, "Sunset Below the Horizon, Flaming Red," embodies the notion that "the sun and the earth have witnessed all of history." This significant movement consolidates the entire work, written enthusiastically in my early twenties, and remains one of my most memorable pieces. |
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Olive Breeze
- Saxophone Quartet |
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| Inspiration came from a summer in 2024 spent in Puglia, southern Italy. Ideas for the piece formed there and were completed back in Japan, writing in an essay-like, reflective style.
I was especially struck by the vast olive groves that stretched endlessly as we drove from Polignano a Mare to Alberobello. No matter how many kilometers we traveled by car, the olive trees continued as far as the eye could see - like a vast sea of green. |
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Path Beneath a Watchful Sky
- Brass Octet |
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| The path is not always smooth - cherry blossoms bloom during the brief summer, and in the heart of winter, everything is buried in snow. Yet, I hope that through music, hearts can be connected, a warm breeze will blow, and brilliant light will shine. This piece portrays the journey of people walking such a path under the watchful gaze of the sky. |
