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Biography

Abe, Yuichi

Born in 1968 in Saitama, Abe composes for wind bands and ensembles, and is a member of the composers’ group "Wind Association".

Principal works include "Futurism for Wind Orchestra" (nominated for the 2nd Asahi Composition Prize in 1991 and selected as a 1992 All Japan Band Competition test piece), "Pampas for Wind Orchestra" (nominated for the 4th Asahi Composition Prize in 1993), March "Ramesesu II" (awarded the 5th Asahi Composition prize in 1994 and selected as a 1995 AJBA test piece), "Oga Kinuburui" (featured in the 5th Kyo-En concert), and "God's Sphere: The Karnak Shrine" (featured in the 7th Kyo-En concert).

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Amano, Masamicz

Amano was born in 1957 in Akita City. He graduated from Kunitachi College of Music at the top of the composition department and finished postgraduate work also at the top of his class. In his university days, he began writing for diverse fields including jazz, rock, folk music, and pops as well as classical and modern music. After graduation, he mastered C.M.I. (Computer Music Instruments) in Australia, becoming a wizard of computer music in Japan as well as the country’s first CD recorded artist.

He is very active abroad, especially in Central Europe, recording and conducting his own works with the National Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Versailles Chamber Orchestra, while earning commissions from the Warsaw Brass, Trio Classic and Paderewski Festival. In Japan he earned the excellence prize from the 23rd and 24th Japan Academy Award music section, and the composition & arrangement prize from the 10th "Academic Society of Japan for Winds Percussion & Band" Academy Award.

Since 1986, he has produced many wind band arrangements from the music of Bartok, Ravel, Akira Miyoshi, Akio Yashiro, Toshiro Mayuzumi, etc., as well as original works and ensemble literature. His works are very frequently performed at All Japan Band Competitions and concerts throughout his country and the world.

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Ehara, Daisuke

Daisuke Ehara was born in Tokyo in 1982.

After graduating from Tokyo College of Music , he completed a master's degree at Tokyo University of the Arts and began his career as a composer.

2008 1st All-Japan Band Association Competition 1st prize Winner. 2016 Received the 27th Asahi Composition Award. In addition, it has received many awards.

His activities range from classical music, contemporary music, Wind band music, pops, game music, and orchestration to a wide range of genres.

His representative work, "The RESTLESS SOUL", won the first prize at the 1st All Japan Brass Band Composition Competition held in 2008 and was adopted as a set piece for the 2009 All Japan Band Competition. Since then, his works gain a good reputation both at home and abroad.

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Fukuda, Masanori

From Hiroshima, he graduated from Tamagawa University at the top of the Art Department and finished his specialized course in Art.

He was nominated for the 3rd "Academic Society of Japan for Winds Percussion & Band (ASJWPB)" contest, and earned third prize at the 6th ASJWPB contest.

He studied Euphonium under Toru Miura, conducting under Yasuhiko Shiozawa, Yoshinori Kawachi and Kazuyoshi Akiyama, and directing and arrangement under the late Yoshikazu Hatta.

He is presently a performing member of the Rustic Bari-Tuba Ensemble, the Euphonium Company and the Tokyo Brass Society while producing a number of arrangements for wind orchestra and brass ensemble as well as a variety of original works.

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Fukuda, Yosuke

Born in the Suginami borough of Tokyo in 1975, Fukuda taught himself composing and arranging while attending junior high school. He served as director of his high school’s drama club, and upon graduation, began producing music for theatre, dance, cinema and television. Currently he conducts, lectures, and composes in the wind band field, and is recognized for his consideration and utilization of sound system technology in dramatic composition.

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Fukushima, Hirokazu

Hirokazu Fukushima graduated from Maebashi-Minami High School and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Tokyo College of Music, as well as a Certificate Diploma in Music. He studied composition with Reiko Arima. Today, he is an active composer and arranger of band and orchestra music. He organized Ensemble Poire, which does unique performance activities including peculiar movements and comedy. He was nominated to the Asahi Composition Prize for "Harvest Waves" and awarded the same for his "Chant for Dosozin" in 1999, and the Japan Bandmasters Association Shitaya Prize for "Ryujo no Mai" in 2003. He was also director of wind band composition at the National Cultural Festival held in Gunma in 2001.

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Goto, Yo

Yo Goto is recognized as one of the leading composers and educators in the field of wind and percussion music in the United States and Japan. His works have been performed at several international conventions including College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), and The Midwest Clinic. He is currently the executive director of the Japan Academic Society of Wind Music, the executive advisor of the committee of the Japan Band Clinic, and the professor of the Showa University of Music. He also works as a member of WASBE Board of Directors. Goto received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Yamagata University, Japan, and studied composition with Shin-ichiro Ikebe at the Tokyo College of Music, completing a Performance Diploma Course. As active composer, arranger, and clinician, Goto moved to Texas to study composition with Cindy McTee at the University of North Texas (UNT) in 2001. He holds a Master of Music degree in composition and a Master of Music Education degree from UNT. His work, Songs for Wind Ensemble, won the 2011 Sousa/Ostwald Award held by the American Bandmasters Association. Goto also received the Academy Award from the Japan Academic Society of Wind Music in 2000 and 2012. He also has worked as a clinician and guest conductor at several international conferences including WASBE and The Midwest Clinic.

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Haga, Takashi

He did his undergraduate work at the Aichi Prefectural University of the Arts, where he received the Graduated Excellent Student Award and Nakamura Momoko Award. Haga then later studied under Edith Canat de Chizy at the Paris Regional Conservatory. He has won numerous awards, including 3rd prize the 21st Tokyo International Chamber Music Composition Competition and Grand Prix and the audience award at the 6th Coups de Vent International Symphony Band Composition Competition held in France.

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Hirose, Hayato

Hayato Hirose (b. 1974) is a young, emerging composer who has developed his international career over the years. A native of Japan, he has received numerous honors and awards. Many of his works have been published by major publishers in Europe, the USA, and Japan.

Mr. Hirose completed his Master degrees in composition and wind band conducting at Lemmens Institute (Belgium), Bachelor degree in composition at the Boston Conservatory (USA) and his professional study at the Tokyo Music & Mediaarts Shobi (Japan).

He studied composition with Jan Van der Roost, Piet Swerts, Andy Vores, and Yoriaki Matsudaira. He is also an active conductor with much professional experience in band, choir and orchestra conducting. Currently, he is the faculty member at Shobi Music College (Tokyo).

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Hokoyama, Wataru

Wataru Hokoyama was born in 1974 in Aizu, Japan. At the age of 16, he moved to the States alone to study music. An alumni of Interlochen Arts Academy, he holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music, and an advance certificate from the University of Southern California (Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program), where he studied composition with Donald Erb, Elmer Bernstein, Christopher Young and Buddy Baker respectively. Wataru also studied conducting with Alan Gilbert, the current music director of New York Philharmonic.

Several films Hokoyama has worked on as composer, were awarded in significant film festivals such as Palm d'Or (Best Short Picture) at The Cannes Film Festival, Online Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival and Best Short Drama at The Emmy (College Television Awards). He has also worked as orchestrator for film and TV such as "Dungeons and Dragons" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer (musical episode)."

Besides film and TV, his concert works have been commissioned and been performed at various occasions in the United States, Japan and Europe including a commission by The U.S. Air force Band to premiere a new piece for the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown's settlement and the 60th anniversary of U.S. Air Force. In Japan, he was commissioned to write music for the official ceremony of The Imperial Family of Japan, "Ikuju Ceremony."

Hokoyama worked with artists such as Clay Aiken for his U.S. tour, and Jared Leto (30 Seconds To Mars) for a new album recording. In 2007, he began working in the video game industry by writing scores for SONY Playstation3 game"AFRIKA" (Hollywood Music Awards' Best Video Game Score 2008) using a 104-piece orchestra to record at the SONY Scoring Stage. In 2008, he worked on CAPCOM's hit series game "Resident Evil 5" for the additional music, orchestration and conducting to record at the 20th FOX Newman Scoring Stage with a103 piece orchestra.

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Hoshina, Hiroshi

Hiroshi Hoshina was born in 1936 in Tokyo. He studied composition at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where his thesis won the 1st prize of the Mainichi-Classic Competitions (composition for orchestra).

He composes various styles of classical music: orchestra work, brass band music, instrumental pieces, songs, choirs, opera, etc. Over a half of his works belongs in the brass band music, which includes some well-known pieces "Fumon" and "Caprice".
In 2009, a piece for solo horn and piano (originally composed for solo horn and orchestra) "Miko Dance" is chosen as a compulsory piece of the final round with piano at the 20° Concorso Internazionale "CITTÀ DI PORCIA".
Recently he conducted Japanese brass band as a guest conductor at famous halls and festivals in EU, Viener Staatsoper (2011), Berlin Philhermony Hall (2012), and Smetana’s Litomyšl Festival (2012).

From the beginning of his career, teaching non-music-career musicians was one of the most attracting works for him. He has been a resident conductor of Okayama University Symphony Orchestra for over 45 years, which is a record period staying a position of resident conductor in Japan. During the continuous relationship with the orchestra, he developed a unique unified theory of musical analysis, interpretation, and playing methods. It works remarkably well for musicians that start playing instruments: such as school brass bands, community orchestras and brass bands in universities — sometimes more than the half of members start their instrumental training at the university.
Based on the theory, he is also active as a conductor, clinician and author.

He taught at Tokyo Collage of Music, Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, and Hyogo University of Teacher Education where he retired in 2001.

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Iijima, Toshinari

Toshinari Iijima was born in Tokyo, 1960. He completed postgraduate course at Kunitachi College of Music, studying composition with Yuzuru Shimaoka, Toshimitsu Tanaka, and Michio Mamiya.
He has composed and arranged many works for orchestra, winds, chamber music, and traditional Japanese ensembles. He is also works in close collaboration to produce music for pantomime and visual arts. He was a full-time lecturer at Tokyo Conservatoire Shobi, and is now a member of the Composers group, "Aoi" as well as an executive of "Prosperous Future for Band into the 21st Century KYO-EN".
He has been the music supervisor and regular conductor of Hachinohe Wind Ensemble since October of 2003.

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Ishige, Rika

Rika Ishige graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts majoring in composition. Her concert band and ensemble works are published by Pierre Lafitan, Accord Publishing, Brain Music, CAFUA Records, Wind Art, and Foster Music.
Ishige studied composition with Atsutada Otaka, Yoshiki Miyamoto and Hiroshi Sato. She currently composes and arranges for wind band and orchestra, Anime, TV and movies. Her acclaimed work Muta in Concert (saxphone and wind orchestra, 2004) commissioned by Masahiro Tamura.
She currently teaches at Makuhari Sohgoh High School.

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Ito, Yasuhide

Yasuhide Ito (b. 1960), professor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, has earned international acclaim for his compositional endeavors. His more than 1000 works include 90-plus wind band scores. Gloriosa (1990 Ongaku No Tomo Sha; Bravo Music, international distributor) is one of the most frequently performed masterworks in the world, having the distinction of appearing in a standard Japanese high school music textbook. His Festal Scenes (TRN) saw its US premiere with Ito himself conducting, marking his first international appearance at the 1987 ABA-JBA joint convention.

Ito’s compositional talent covers a variety of musical media. His piano ensemble series, Guru-guru Piano (Ongaku No Tomo Sha, 8 volumes) expands the scope of four-handed performance. His 2001 opera Mr. Cinderella received much critical acclaim and greatly impacted the Japanese opera scene. By request from his hometown of Hamamatsu, he composed music for the official city song rededicated in 2007. In honor of those affected by the tragic East Japan Earthquake, Ito collaborated with famous poet Ryoichi Wago, offering songs of gifts and prayer. His kindness and generosity through music has touched many lives. .

Ito’s distinguished musical career includes guest conducting the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra for their ‘Asian Concert Tour 2002’ on behalf of maestro Frederick Fennell, and the International Youth Wind Orchestra at WASBE 2005 in Singapore. He is in high demand as a guest conductor, clinician, lecturer, and educator in Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore, and gives clinics for WASBE and other band festivals worldwide. .

Ito was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan in 1960. His musical career began with childhood piano lessons and later compositional studies while in high school. He graduated from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music with a bachelor of music degree in composition. .

Ito's musical talent has been recognized through awards at the Shizuoka Music Competition (piano, first prize, 1980), Japan Music Competition (composition, third prize, 1982), the Competition for Saxophone Music (1987) and the Bandmasters Academic Society of Japan (the Academy Prize, 1994; Research Branch Prize, 2012).

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Iwai, Naohiro

Naohiro Iwai was born on the 2nd of October, 1923. He graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1947 with a degree in instrumental music majoring in the Horn. In University he was part of the Ernie Pyle Orchestra where he played the trumpet. The Ernie Pyle Orchestra was a group that played for the entertainment of American soldiers in post war Japan. They performed in a theatre that did not allow Japanese patrons.

After gaining experience in a few bands he joined Frankie Sakai's new "City Slingers" jazz band as an adviser and arranger. In 1959 he became a producer for Toshiba Records (now Universal Music) and organized band clinics and performances all over the world. He was involved in the composition or arrangement of over 3000 songs, most of them in the pop genre.

He's recently been involved in the "New sounds in Brass" series, where he has invigorated the series with a mixture of pop, jazz and rock that is new in the Japanese wind music before. Starting in 1972 he has been entrusted with providing a number of songs for the All Japan Band Competition (AJBC) including the 1976 song "On Main street". His most recent piece to have been selected for the competition was in 2013, an incredible 41 years since his first selected piece in the AJBC.

In 2012 he received an award from the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Lifelong Learning Policy Bureau for his contribution to social education.

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Iwata, Satoshi

Satoshi Iwata is a graduate of Kunitachi College of Music.
His works "Impromptu" and "Variations on a Minuet" were selected for performance at The 17th Japan Flute Convention 2015 in Shizuoka. In 2016, "Japanese Wind II" had a premiere performance by members of Friends of El Sistema Japan at Thomaskirche. Iwata’s flute quartet "Seen by Grove and Mist" and saxophone quartet "Here" are being published by Brain Co. Ltd. (Bravo Music, international distributor). A piece called "Nostalgie" for alto saxophone and piano is released on the CD "Vongole!" performed by renowned Japanese saxophonist Makoto Asari. Mr. Iwata is a member of The Japan Federation of Composers Inc., Contemporary Composers Group SO, and he is an instructor at SHOBI College of Music.

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Kanayama, Tohru

Born 1960 in Yamaguchi prefecture, Kanayama played trumpet and euphonium in elementary school brass band and clarinet in junior and senior high school. After graduating from Musashino Academia Musicae, he worked as a keyboard and multi-reed player for musicals, concerts and recordings and has served as a composer/arranger for J-pop artists. His works are published by major publishing companies such as Brain Music and Yamaha Music Media. Kanayama also does composition and arranging for professional organizations like Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and Siena Wind Orchestra.

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Kaneda, Bin

Bin Kaneda (1935 ? 2002). He graduated in 1959 from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he majored in composition. He taught at the Tokyo College of Music, Yamaha Nemu Music Academy, and Gifu University, and the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts. In 1956, he was placed first in the string music division of the Music Competition of Japan.

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Kano, Sohei

Sohei Kano (b. 16 September 1980, Yokohama, Japan) is a Japanese composer.
Kano graduated from the Tokyo College of Music in 2004, with graduate education in 2006.
In 2009, Squelzo No. 2 "Summer" for brass band was selected as the theme song V for the 2010 All Japan Band Competition.
In the spring of 2010, he independently performed a new opera, and in 2011 he composed the music for the TV anime Fractal.
In recent years, Kano has been focusing on film music by Akira Ifukube, vidoe game music such as FF VII on GSJ, and music score production for Vocaloid wind concert, Berlin, Tokyo in 2015. He is in charge of music for the animated film Sakuseki directed by Hiroshi Yamamoto, which was released in 2019.

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Kataoka, Hiroaki

Hiroaki Kataoka was born in 1983 in Iizuka, Fukuoka. He graduated from Tokyo College of Music majoring in percussion. He studied composition with Katsuhiro Tsubonou and Yutaka Fujiwara, and percussion with Atsushi Sugawara, Mariko Okada and Keiko Abe.

He plays professionally and also joins with many concerts and recitals performing his own works. When not teaching and giving clinics to orchestras and bands, he composes and arranges.

Kataoka was invited to Tongyeong International Music Festival and was able to collaborate with Ensemble Modern. His work The Path Tenma for Wind Orchestra was selected as one of five test pieces of the 2007 All Japan Band Competition. He currently teaches at Tokyo Seikyo University and Japan Women's University.

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Kato, Daiki

Daiki Kato is from Ogaki, Gifu in Japan. He currently lives in Nerima, Tokyo. As a child, he studied piano and composition. In junior high school, he started playing all brass instruments, and by the age of 18, began with percussion.
As a percussionist (mainly marimba) his percussion ensemble performed at various elementary and junior high schools, welfare facilities, and cafes. He also has composed and published ensemble music for junior high and high school levels. In recent years, his unique background has led him to be a band instructor at numerous schools.

Kato graduated from SHOBI College of Music with a percussion performance degree. He is the recipient of The 17th KOBE International Music Contest award and Japan Academic Society of Wind Music recognition. His music has been commissioned by Tumon Bay Music Festival for three consecutive years.
His primary instructors for marimba include Kazuko Ogawa, Kazunori Momose, and Kazuhiro Hibi; and for composition, Eiji Suzuki, Hayato Hirose, Shin’ya Takahashi, and Haruhise Takeno.
Mr. Kato is a member of the percussion ensembles "Beat Laboratory", "Sutella 21", and "Ensemble Varius". He is currently a marimba instructor at Fuga Music Class.

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Kazuhara, Shin

A trumpet player born in 1946, Kazuhara studied under Mr. Genzou Kitamura while attending Kunitachi College of Music. At the age of 20 he began performing with jazz big bands such as "Tokyo Union Orchestra", "Swing Face", "Sharps & Flats", and others for more than 10 years. He then became a free-lance studio musician, recording many theme songs of popular TV programs and supporting notable Japanese singers. After forming his own big band, "Tokyo Ensemble Lab", he strove to mentor young musicians, and released two CDs, "Breath from the Season" in 1988 and "Sidewinder" in 1992. His premier solo album, "Trumpet major," was released in 1997.

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Kikuchi, Yukio

Kikuchi was born in Tokyo in 1964. He attended Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music 1983-91, where he studied composition with Akira Kitamura, Shin Sato, and Teizo Matsumura, and after receiving an MA degree, served on the faculty for four years. Presently he teaches composition on faculty at Kunitachi College of Music, Shobi Gakuen School of Music & Media arts. Kikuchi's works appeared in public early on. His "Saxophones' Studies", which won the Composition Competition for Saxophone '86, and "YOHEN" (for piano and orchestra) that won the "Akutagawa" prize for composition 1993, are critically and popularly acclaimed. His orchestral works have been performed by Tokyo's major symphonies, including commissions premiered by Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, conducted by Hiroyuki Iwaki (1994) and Shin Nihon Philharmonic Orchestra (1995). Most recently he has pursued chamber music and wind orchestral works, tirelessly searching for more original sound.

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Kimura, Takeo

A native of Tokyo, Kimura graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts and Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de RUEIL MALMAISON CRR. He plays from Eb Clarinet through to Contrabass Clarinet and frequently joins symphony orchestras concerts and recording sessions around the globe.
In recent years, he has been invited to perform at modern music festivals including the 2005 Daegu International Contemporary Music Festival, the 2006 Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music and the 2007 Arts Festival Dimension in Seoul. He is a member of the Tokyo Clarinet Ensemble, Amadeus Quintet, Ensemble Interactive Tokyo, and Togame Comical Clarinet Philharmony. Kimura currently teaches at Shobi University and Seitoku University.

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Kimura, Yoshihiro

One of Japan's preeminent conductors, Yoshihiro Kimura has earned worldwide respect for both his remarkable interpretive skills and his outstanding transcriptions for wind orchestra. His many recording credits are regarded as definitive reference sources, and he has a long association with his country's professional band scene.

A product of the Osaka College of Music, Kimura studied clarinet with Shinjiro Nakao, Yukio Ohashi and Rudolf Jettel, and trained for conducting with Takashi Asahina. After joining the Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band in 1962, he served as Concert Master, Associate Conductor, and in 1985, permanent Conductor of one of the few professional wind ensembles in Japan. During his tenure with Osaka, Mr. Kimura recorded many collections of original band works, with compelling studies of Hiroshi Hoshina, Yasuhide Ito, Bin Kaneda, Tetsunosuke Kushida and others, as well as the symphonies of James Barnes, Robert Jager and Alfred Reed, to name a few. Recently, Kimura has also been associated with the superb new Hiroshima Wind Orchestra, with which he recorded suites by Malcolm Arnold and William Walton, transcribed by the conductor. He continues as Honor Conductor of the Osaka Band.

Mr. Kimura's transcriptions are noted for their unrestricted voice groupings and more effective adaptation to wind instrument sonorities. His techniques, heard in both formal concert and festival venues, have enhanced the role of the wind orchestra as a dignified and dramatic medium attractive to many audiences. He is published by Brain/Bravo Music, Broad Publications, Buffet Crampon and de Haske.

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Kobayashi, Satoshi

A native of Yokohama, Kobayashi graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in Clarinet performance. He's a freelance artist for symphonic and chamber string/wind performance, recitals and recording sessions. He premiered operas including "Sumidagawa" and "Kusabira" in 1995. In 2002, he was invited to the 8th Contemporary Music Festival in Masan, South Korea.
He joined the Jinju City Symphony Orchestra in South Korea as clarinet soloist and performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in 2003. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, he joined Tokyo Opera Nomori with maestro Seiji Ozawa. He also performed in the Saito Kinen Festival in 2006 and 2008. In 2002, he played the Broadway musical "Pacific Overtures" (Stephen Sondheim) directed by Amon Miyamoto at Avery Fisher Hall.
He has CDs by major labels with the Tokyo Clarinet Philharmony as concertmaster. He was invited to perform at Clarinet Fest in Ostend, Belgium in 1999 and Oklahoma in 2000. He currently teaches at Chiba University as an adjunct professor.

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Koh, Chang-Su

Chang Su Koh was born in Osaka in 1970. After graduating Osaka College of Music with a degree in composition, he entered the Musik Akademie der Stadt Basel. Koh has studied composition with Kunihiko Tanaka and Rudolf Kelterborn, and conducting with Jost Meyer to date. He received the 2nd prize from the 5th Suita Music Contest composition section and earned honorable mentions from the 13th Nagoya City Cultural Promotion Contest and the 1st Zoltan Kodaly Memorial International Composers Competition.

He was also awarded the 12th Asahi Composition prize ("Lament" was a 2002 AJBC test piece) and received the "Master Yves Leleu" prize from the 1st Comines-Warneton International Composition Contest. Presently, he teaches at Osaka College of Music and ESA Conservatory of Music and Wind Instrument Repair Academy, and is also a member of Kansai Modern Music Association. He composes and arranges orchestral, wind and chamber music with commissions from various bands. He also directs amateur orchestras and city bands.

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Kurokawa, Keiichi

Keiichi Kurokawa was born in Saitama, Japan in 1980. He graduated from Saitama University majoring in East Asian Cultures. He participated in wind band club while in school, playing trumpet in junior high and high school, and bass and alto clarinet at university. He began arranging during high school and since then has made many arrangements and compositions for wind band and chamber ensembles.

His arrangement, American Riverside Medley (Wind Band / Brass Band) was selected as one of test pieces of Singapore Youth Festival 2014. Almost his works are published from Brain / Bravo Music.

Kurokawa is now a music engraver and editor and a band director. He is a member of Japan Band Directors Association (JBA) and teaches computer music (notation software) at Yamaha Music Avenue Shibuya in Tokyo.

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Kushida, Tetsunosuke

Tetsunosuke Kushida was born in Kyoto in 1935. While majoring in mathematics at Kyoto University of Education, he studied composition with Tadashi Fukumoto. After graduation, he continued studies under Nagomi Nakaseko and film-music composer Nakaba Takahashi. He also participated in the group "Tsu-ku-ru, Composers' Group in Kyoto" and began his wide compositional activities. Kushida was born in a family of Japanese musicians and grew up surrounded by Japanese instruments so his compositional style is generally based on traditional Japanese music.

After he won the Ongaku-no-Tomo-sha Corporation Prize for Composition in 1969 for Stone Garden he studied composition and arranging for wind music under Paul Yoder, ABA first president, and Ichitaro Tsujii, the premiere conductor for Asuka. Tsujii has been a major influence on Kushida's works for winds. Asuka was recorded by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and judging from its frequent performances both in Japan and foreign countries, it can be said that the piece has entered major repertory status.

Kushida has produced many works with Japanese historical inspiration, which include Collage for Band - on Folk Songs from the Tohoku District, Clouds in Collage, Ritual Legend, Snow-Moon-Flower, Sagano, Kagerohi ("Shimmering Air", and The Clouds Add Colors. He has also written many works for wind instruments, which include works for recitals by Keiji Munesada, Keiji Shimoji and Masahiro Maeda, and works for saxophone ensembles. In 1995, he was awarded the 5th Academy Award, Wind Music Japan. In the same year, his work Autumn in Heian-Kyo was premiered by Baden Wurttemberg Wind Ensemble. He was also invited as a special guest professor to Osaka College of Music and gave a lecture under the title of "Japanese Traditional Music and Wind Music." In March 1997, he presented a lecture and concert under the same title in Hiroshima and Okayama, in collaboration with the Symphonic Wind Orchestra of Nagoya University of Arts.

A collaboration with Kohei Amada (sculptor, koto player and harpist) and his son Koji Amada (harpist) was to lead Kushida into a definite direction in terms of his view of the Japanese sound and Japanese music. Kohei Amada also was a tremendous influence on his life, as well as his music. His recent piece Quiet Side Path for Harp Ensemble and Narrator, performed in the memorial concert for Kohei Amada by the Amada Harp Ensemble under Koji Amada, with Fujio Tokita narrating, strongly reflects his view of life. Many of his works for harp ensemble, such as Night in the Glass, Ondine's Night, and Omohi ("Thoughts"), performed at the Fukui International Harp Festival, have been programmed repeatedly in foreign countries as well as in Japan, and have become favorite pieces.

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Masakado, Kenichi

Ken’ichi Masakado was born in Kasuga, Fukuoka in 1966. After graduating from Fukuoka Chikushi High School, he attended Musashino Academia Musicae, studying musicology with Akimichi Takeda and harmonics and counterpoint with Yoshiki Miyamoto. He earned honorable mention for a fanfare submission to the Nagano Olympic and the 9th Asahi Composition Contest. He has served as director of the Kitakyushu City Fire and Disaster Management Department Band since April 2003.

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Mashima, Toshio

Toshio Mashima was born in Tsuruoka-shi, Yamagata in1949. He entered Yamaha's Band Educator Academy while majoring in technology at Kanagawa University. Mashima studied harmony, composition and arrangement with the late Bin Kaneda and jazz theory under the late Makoto Uchibori. After graduation in 1971, he freelanced on trombone and piano, playing jazz and popular music. Working as an assistant to composer Naohiro Iwai furthered his interest in writing for winds.

Mashima has produced many works for wind band, and is also well known for his outstanding jazz and pops arrangements for both concert and big bands. Noteworthy concert band pieces include the symphonic poem "Seascape", selected as a 1985 All Japan Band Competition test piece, a 1991 test piece "Coral Blue", and the 1997 test piece "Sweet Breeze in May". Others include "Mirage I", "Jacob's Ladder to a Crescent" and "Mirage a Paris". More recent works include "Les trois notes du Japon", commissioned by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra in 2001, and "Mirage III" in 2003. "Mirage II" (1999) was premiered by Paris' Garde Republicaine Wind Orchestra in July of that year. Mashima has also produced significantly recorded transcriptions of Gershwin's "Cuban Overture", Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade Symphonic Suite", and Debussy's "L'isle joyeuse" to name a few. Mashima is published in Japan, America and Holland, has also scored for television drama, and received an academy award (1997) for composition from the Academic Society of Japan for Wind, Percussion & Band.

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Matsuo, Yoshio

Born in Kochi in 1946, Matsuo studied composition and arrangement under Masashi Wakamatsu. He is a member of the composers’ group"Wind Association", the Japan Sousa Society, and"Prosperous Future for Band into the 21st Century KYO-EN". While working at Tokyo Hustle Copy Inc., Matsuo still composes at his own pace. Other outstanding works include"Hello Sunshine", a 1987 All Japan Band Competition test piece and favorite of Frederick Fennell’s,"Reflections of Heian-Kyo" (awarded Japan Band Association Shitaya prize in 1999),"Three Scenes in Crayon" (receiving the JBA Shitaya prize in 2003),"Rainbow Breeze March", 2005 test piece"Pax Romana" and more.

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Matsushita, Tomohito

Tomohito Matsushita graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts’ bachelor and master degrees majoring in composition. He also completed his master in Piano Performance/Accompaniment from Tokyo College of Music in 2014.
He received a Piano Performance award at the 37th All Shikoku Music Contest, second place and Kasuga City Special Award in Piano at the 3rd Yayoinosato Junior Music Competition and the 29th Japan Symphony Foundation Composition Award, first prize at the Master/Adult Piano category for the 5th Kitamoto Piano Competition. In 2018, Matsushita received the Shitaya Award (composition) for "The Chosen from the Legends of Yamata no Orochi" from the 51st Japan Band Association.
His works for band have been selected and featured at Kyo-En and chamber ensembles have been released by major publishers. He also composes for chorus. As a pianist, he has held recitals and released CDs. He teaches at Tokyo College of Music and Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.

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Minakuchi, Tohru

Tohru Minakuchi graduated from Musashino Academia Musicae, studying trumpet with Mineo Sugiki, Shinichiro Yamaguchi and Yuji Inoue. He is currently an arranger, trumpet performer and clinician, and is a member of The Trumpet Concert, Ensemble Moimoi, Brass Ensemble Extra and Tokyo Brilliant Brass. Minakuchi is also director of the Moka Wind Orchestra and The Novel Brass, and is instructor of the Komaba Toho Junior and Senior High School Wind Orchestra and Shibuya Youth Symphonic Band.

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Morita, Kazuhiro

Kazuhiro Morita was born in 1952 in Tokyo. He studied composition with Yoshio Hasegawa at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music. His writing covers genres from orchestra to guitar solo as well as compositions and arrangements for studio sessions in various fields. Recently he is also very active in writing for wind band, producing "Pop Step March" (1985 All Japan Band Competition test piece), "Prelude for Jungfrau", "Floral Timepiece" for Band, "Galliard and Fugue", "Suite Villanesca", and more.

Aside from wind band scoring, other original works include "Elegia, Ritmica and Samba-Ostinato" for Clarinet Septet, "3 Sonnets on B.A.C.H " for Guitar, "6 Preludes" for Guitar, "Flower Clock" for Piano Duo, etc.

He earned the composition & arrangement prize from the 8th Japan Wind Music Academy Awards in 1998, and is an advisor for the Japan Band Clinic committee.

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Nagao, Jun

Born in 1964 in Ibaraki Prefecture, Nagao graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music, where he also completed postgraduate work. He studied composition with Masayuki Nagatomi and Teruyuki Noda, and received the 2000 Toru Takemitsu Award and the 24th Japan Symphony Foundation composition award.

Noteworthy compositions include four commissions from Yamaha Symphonic Band: "Nami no Ho", "Souten no Shizuku", "La lumineuse du vent vert" and "Fluttering Maple Leaves"; wind works "Symphony", "Réminiscence", "Der Glücksdrache", "The other garden" (euphonium and band), "Die Heldenzeit" (alto saxophone and band), and "Symbiosis" (trumpet and band); orchestral music "Mille courants qui rentrent", "L'été - L'oubli rouge", "Le printemps - L'illusion bleue", "L'automne - La permanance blanche"; chamber music "Octet" (saxophone), and solo music "La lune en Paradis" and "Futarishizuka"

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Nakata, Mamoru

Mamoru Nakata was born in Okayama, 1953. He received his bachelors and masters degrees from Tokyo University of Arts, studying saxophone with Kozo Maeno, Kazuo Tomioka and Shinryo Sakaguchi. He was featured in NHK’s "New-Face Musician" Concert and received the Japan Federation of Musicians’ New-Face Award. He joined a saxophone quartet with his mentor, Kazuo Tomioka, premiering numerous works. After graduation he was hired by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra as a tenor saxophonist, serving until 2014. Nakata had many orchestral appearances, including performing Ravel’s Boléro on the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s Japan tour, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.

Nakata is currently involved with numerous projects: collaboration with varied types of music, concert band music arrangement, concert planning and management, and CD production and conducting. Nakata’s arrangements are recognized by Dr. Frederick Fennell and Dr. Ray Cramer and performed by world renowned groups including Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony and Indiana University Wind Ensemble.

Currently, Nakata is conductor of Nagoya Academic Winds, adjunct faculty of Okayama Sanyo High School Music Dept., conductor of Hyakumangoku Wind Orchestra, musical director of Wind Ensemble Du Nord, conductor of Izumo Wind Orchestra, Vanguard Brass, Bunkyo Wind Orchestra, and president of Japan Wind Ensemble Conductors Conference and a member of CBDNA.

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Nakamura, Kinichi

Kin-ichi Nakamura graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music in 1983, and performed at its University’s Dousei Society New Members’ Concert at that year. He also received a prize at the New Players Contest organized by the Tokyo Cultural Institution Concert Hall. Since the 1982 formation of Harmo Saxophone Quartet, he has given recitals throughout Japan. Nakamura has been devoted to producing arrangements for Saxophone Quartet.

He received the 1st prize (the first for a saxophonist) plus recognition from Lufthansa at the 21st Chamber Music Contest in 1986. He has released more than 10 CDs of saxophone solo and quartet performances. He actively works on new styles of arranging such as"Magical Sounds","F Cube Trio", and"Attic." He studied saxophone with Kazuo Tomioka and Yuichi Ohmuro. He also teaches at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music, Nihon University College of Arts, and Tokyo Music & Media Arts Shobi.

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Nakamura, Tadahisa

From Tokyo, Nakamura received a third place at the 86th Japan Music Contest Composition Category, Composition award from the Japan Federation of Composers Inc., finalist for the 36th Japan Society for Contemporary Music and the 21st Kyo-En amongst many other awards and recognitions. He graduated in clarinet performance from Shobi University and received a diploma from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Nakamura also completed a composition research position at Toho University.

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Nakazawa, Michiko

Nakazawa completed bachelor and master degrees in composition at Osaka College of Music studying under Hideaki Suzuki and Kazaburo Hirai. She composes and arranges for band and chamber ensembles and serves as an adjunct professor at Osaka College of Music. She is a member of the Japan Federation of Composers, Federation of Women Composers in Japan, and Kansai Modern Music Association. She is also a member of the composition group, "Sé." Her leading works include "Four Seasons for Two Marimbaists"  and "Japonesque 1, 2, 3." 

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Nishimura, Yukiko

Yukiko Nishimura, composer/pianist, was born in Japan. She graduated from Tokyo National University of Arts in 1990. In 1991, she began private study with Dr. Alfred Reed at the University of Miami and in 1993 she continued her studies with Dr. Richard Danielpour at Manhattan School of Music. Among her honors are the special mentions at the 15th and 26th International Competition for Original Composition for band in Corciano, Italy and the 6th Aoyama Award. Since 1996, she has given concerts consisting entirely of her own music in Japan. She gave a solo piano recital at New York Public Library, Donnell Library Center in 2003. In 2005, she was commissioned to compose music for the silent film "Edison’s 1910 Frankenstein" for string quartet which was premiered in Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania by Covington String Quartet. The music for the silent film "The Water Magician" directed by Kenji Mizoguchi in 1933 was premiered in 2007. In 2010, a theatrical work "Fantasy of Kenji" based on the stories by Kenji Miyazawa was premiered. In 2014, she collaborated with Noh play, which is Japanese traditional theater work, as a composer and a pianist.
Ms. Nishimura has received numerous commissions and has composed for piano, marimba, percussion, chamber music, band music, music for string instruments and orchestra. She has also been active as a pianist and an arranger. She has studied composition with Atsutada Otaka, Dr. Alfred Reed, Dr. Richard Danielpour, and Giampaolo Bracali. She studied piano with Ivan Davis and Dr. Sara Davis Buechner.

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Noro, Nozomi

Born in Atsugi, Kanagawa, Nozomu Noro attended Atsugi Nishi High School and Showa University of Music, where he earned a Masters in composition. He studied with Kazuhisa Akita, Shunichi Tokura, Yo Goto and Geon Yong Lee, and composed fanfares for the 4th, 5th and 6th University Orchestra Festival. He was selected for the Showa Fresh Artist Concert in 2016, the 13th Orchestra del Teatro Giglio Showa and the 18th Showa Wind Symphony Concert. He received a Trombone Piece of the Year Award in 2017. Noro's music was also selected for the 21st and 23rd Kyo-En new music festival.

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Oda, Miyuko

Miyuko Oda was born in Tokyo. She has studied at Musashino Academia Musicae Tama since the age of four, including piano, cello, solfege and music theory. She graduated Shirayuri Gakuen Junior and Senior High School and earned her BA and MA from Musashino Academia Musicae in composition. She studied composing with Yukio Nozaki and piano with Yoshimi Nagahori, Tomonori Kohsaka, and Tamayo Oka.

Oda’s work was selected as the academia fanfare for three consecutive years starting at the 5th Annual Musashino Academia Musicae Orchestra Festival. She received an Encouragement Award for the 21st Tokyo International Association of Artists Chamber Music Category, second place at the 2nd K Composition Contest, Audience Award for the Trombone Piece of the Year 2017, awards at the 6th, 7th and 8th Tokyo International Competition for Art Music Composition, 2nd place as well as the Yoshinao Nakada and Ryousuke Hatanaka Awards at the 24th Sogakudo of the Former Tokyo Music College Composition Contest, and 2nd place at the 25th Sogakudo of the Former Tokyo Music College Composition Contest.

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Onodera, Makoto

Born in Kawagoe, Saitama (1979), attended Noda Jr. HS and Inagakuen Sogo HS playing tuba. He studied at Tokyo University of the Arts, receiving bachelors and masters degrees in composition and earning the Ataka and Acanthus Composition Awards.
Onodera studied composition with Jo Kondo, Shosai Kitamura, Fumio Tamura, and Katsuhiro Tsubono. He writes for a wide range of genres including orchestra, chorus, concert band, and chamber ensemble. He teaches harmony, solfege and is a band clinician.

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Ozaki, Kazunari

Kazunari Ozaki was born in Osaka in 1989. He studied composition under Koichi Otsuka, and received numerous awards including the TIAA All Japan Composition Contest. Ozaki received his bachelors and masters degrees from Doshisha University. He is currently completing PhD studies at Kyoto City University of Arts.

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Park, Soo-Hyun

Park studied composition at the Osaka College of Music. His works have mainly been performed in East Asia and Europe, at events such as the 2003Asian Music Festival, Tokyo, Daegu International Contemporary Festival 2005, Jeju Wind Ensemble Festival (2009, 2012) in Korea, the ISCM "World Music Days" in Sweden (2009) and Poland (2014) and the 2011 Gaohsiong Spring Festival in Taiwan. He won the Third ACL-Korea Composition Competition’s 2nd prize, the 15th Daegu International Contemporary Festival’s 1st prize, the Japan Clarinet Association Composition Competition for Clarinet 3rd prize, the Kansai Modern Music Association Composition Award, and the 7th All Japan Band Association Composition Competition 1st prize ("Scintillating Dawn", a required piece for the All Japan Band Competition 2015). Park is currently a member of the Kansai Modern Music Association and the Japan Academic Society of Wind Music.

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Sakai, Itaru

Itaru Sakai was born in Osaka, Japan, on March 24, 1970. At the age of four he started taking piano lessons. Two years later he wrote his first piece for piano. In his high school band he played flute, and it was while he was still at school that he composed his first work for band, Tanabata, or The Seventh Night of July. In 1990 he entered Osaka College of Music and studied composition under Hideki Chihara and Kunihiko Tanaka. He graduated at the top of his class in 1994 and received his master’s degree from the same college in 1996. In 1997 he was chosen to be a staff composer for the 52nd National Sports Festival in Osaka, Japan.

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Sakai, Takamasa

Born 1977 in Hokkaido, after graduating from Nakashibetsu High School, Sakai entered Shobi University and Shobi College of Music for composition. He worked under Tetsuya Omura after graduation. He studied competition under Isao Matsushita, Tetsuya Omura, and Yu Nobuhara. His composition "Ceremonial March" received the Grand Prix "Shitaya Award" from the Japan Band Association in 2000 and was also selected as a test piece for the Central Japan Band Competition in 2005 and 2006.

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Sato, Masato

Masato Sato was born in Akita Prefecture. He attended Musashino Academia Musicae, studying clarinet with Teruaki Matsushiro and Kunio Chiba. In 1983 he was assigned music teacher at Noda Junior High School in Kawagoe, Saitama, where he created one of the premier school bands in Japan. He then pursued graduate training with Fumishige Yamamoto at Saitama Prefecture’s Tokyo University of Arts extended internship program. In April, 1995, he was appointed guest professor at Shobi College of Music. Sato is active as a clinician, guest-conductor, adjudicator, and author. He received an outstanding achievement award from the All Japan Band Association in 2006 for 15 appearances in the All Japan Band Competition finals, and a music achievement award from Akita Prefecture in 2010. He is currently music director for Kawagoe Sowa Wind Ensemble, Akita Symphonic Band, Sonore Wind Ensemble, and Rissho University Wind Orchestra. He also teaches at Musashino Academia Musicae, Matsubushi High School and North Asia University.

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Shimizu, Daisuke

Daisuke Shimizu was born in 1980 in Kanagawa, Japan. He graduated from Showa College of Music in 2002, having studied composition with Yoshibumi Fujiwara. He has composed for premier bands such as the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Chubu Band, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Eastern Army Band, JGSDF 6th Division Band, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Yokosuka Band, Yamaha Symphonic Band, Naniwa Orchestral Winds, Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band, Siena Wind Orchestra. He also composed for Shintaro Fukumoto, a famous virtuoso saxophonist. His work was performed at the 2008 Midwest Clinic. Compiled into four CDs and releases in Japan, his works have been popular amongst many Japanese ensembles.

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Shishikura, Koh

Koh Shishikura, born in Tokyo in 1968, graduated from Musashino Academia Musicae studying oboe with Kaetsu Toratani and Kozo Yoshinari and vocal music with Hirochi Mochiki. He began composing and arranging at age 16 and has arranged numerous classical, jazz and pops selections for wind band. Many of his works have been premiered by the Saitama Sakae Wind Orchestra including Fantasia on Little Fugue at the NBA/BOA Summer Symposium in 2004, Cherished Days - Nostalgia for Naperville at the 60th Midwest Clinic (presented to the city of Naperville, IL in 2006), an arrangement of Beethoven’s Tempest at the premier classical music event La Forge Journet Kanazawa in 2008, an arrangement of The Phantom of the Opera at the New York Band and Orchestra Festival in 2008, and the World Youth Song at the Taiwan Clinic in 2009. A CD collection of his music entitled "Miss Saigon" was recorded and labeled by Brain Music. Mr. Shishikura is also active as a clinician and lecturer.

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Suzuki, Eiji

Born in Tokyo in 1965, Suzuki attended Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, completing graduate composition in 1991. Additional studies were with Michio Mamiya and Masao Endo.

Special recognitions have included the Ataka Prize (1987) and the 2001 Nihon Wind Band Academy Award for composition. Suzuki’s commissioning clients include Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and various recording companies as well as amateur ensembles. His musical style, highly reflective of contemporary needs and tastes, is well represented in the contest and concert repertoire of Japan, America and Europe.

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Tajima, Tsutomu

Tsutomu Tajima was born in Chiba Prefecture in 1961, graduating from Tokyo College of Music, and completing his postgraduate degree at Joetsu University of Education. He studied piano under Ichiro Kasai, theory of composition with Hidetsugu Iijima and Makoto Goto, and composition under Kenjiro Urata. His work "Wish for Wind Orchestra" was selected as a 1989 All Japan Band Competition test piece, and he received Special Choral Prize at the 12th Performing Arts Creation Encouragement Awards authorized by the Agency for Culture Affairs. He is director of Chiba Prefecture’s Education Research music education division, a member of the composer’s group "Wind Association", and teaches at Kashiwa Junior High School.

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Takahashi, Hiroki

Takahashi was born in 1979. He studied general music with Kiyoshi Yumoto while a student at Kita-Tama High School. He learned "image music" and jazz in an arranging and composition course at Pan School of Music. He has been playing piano more than ten years and trombone for eight years. His compositions received awards in the Zoorasian Brass Arranging Contest, the Sakura Island Image Song Contest, and a special prize from the Tottori Folk Song Arranging Contest. A work has also been selected as a required piece for the All Japan Band Competition. Leading compositions include "British Folk Song March", "Street Performer’s March", and "Moon Forest Suite."

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Takumi, Hidetoshi

From Hokkaido, Japan, Takumi graduated from Musashino Academy Music with a bachelor’s degree in euphonium performance. Since a student, he has been involved in producing music for theatre, ballets, movies, and other events. He is an arranger, composer, teacher of DTM (Desk Top Music), and orchestrator. He is the conductor and composer of Caissé Resonate, a chamber orchestra group. Currently, he is focusing on ‘Film Concert’, a joint event of live music with plays or movies. Takumi’s repertoire is wide ranging, including soundtracks, orchestra and band music, as well as operetta for children. As an educator, he teaches music ensembles in kindergardens, and writes a music column for magazines about DTM or MacIntosh. His newest book is "Practical Orchestration by DTM" (published by Ongaku-no-tomo, 2005)

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Takahashi, Shin'ya

Born in 1962 in Sendai City, Takahashi graduated from Kunitachi College of Music as a composition major and finished his postgraduate degree of composition in music research. He is a member of the Japan Federation of Composers.

His outstanding works include the march "Beyond the Horizon" (selected as a 1999 All Japan Band Competition test piece), "Jalan-jalan: Vision of the Isle of the Gods"(selected as a 2005 German-Bavarian State Wind Band Competition test piece, upper grade), "KAEN for Wind Ensemble", "Sharaku" and so on. Most of his compositions are published and recorded, and frequently performed throughout his country and the world.

He is presently very active in performance leadership for school and adult bands throughout Japan and is an active adjudicator and frequent guest conductor who is always received with deep regard and warm appreciation.

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Tamura, Fumio

Fumio Tamura completed an MA in composition at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, studying under Jo Kondo, and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, studying with Robert Saxton, under a fellowship from the Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists, 1995 to 1997. He has been performed at prestigious events including the Spitalfields Music Festival, the Asian Music festival, the All Japan Band Festival, the Tokyo-no-Natsu Music Festival, ACL Asian Composers League in Seoul, 2002, and the ISCM Hong Kong 2003. His prizes include the Valentino Bucchi International Composition Prize in Rome, the JACA Award for Theater Arts, the National Theatre Award, and honorable commendation at the Genesis Prize for Opera, 2002.
He currently teaches at Kobe University, and is a member of the Japan Federation for Composers, the Japan Electronic Music Society, the composer’s group "Tempus Novum", and Pro Musica Nipponia. He also plans and produces concerts for modern music as a representative of the performance group "Ensemble Contemporary α".

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Tamura, Shuhei

Shuhei Tamura-born in Okayama, 1986. He began composing at age 17 and graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts and Tokyo Gakugei University Graduate School majoring in composition. He writes for varied genre including orchestra, chorus, concert band, and chamber ensemble.
He is very active as a clinician, adjudicator and band director.
He was commissioned by and appointed as a music director for the 37th All Japan Arbor Ceremony and the All Japan High School Interscholastic Athletic Meet opening ceremony. Tamura is also a member of the Japan Federation of Composers Inc.

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Taruya, Masanori

Masanori Taruya (b. 1978, Choushi City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer and conductor.
A graduate of the Musashino Academia Musicae, he studied composition with Hiroshi Sato and Yoshiki Miyamoto. Since graduation, he has worked as a wind band conductor and freelance composer. Leading works include "A Picture Book Without Pictures", "Liberty Guiding the People", "Magellan's Voyage to an Unknown Continent", "Raising of Lazarus" and "The last letter from Murdoch." A wind ensemble piece "Ardent Overture" has been published in France. Taruya has written over twenty works for band/wind ensembles, frequently derived from historical events.
He was lecturer and conductor at Choushi City High School 2014-2018. Currently he is conductor and music director of the Belmonte Wind Orchestra, and is highly regarded as a band leader.

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Tatebe, Tomohiro

Born in Niigata in 1957, Tatebe graduated from Komazawa University as a Japanese literature major. He studied Saxophone under Kazuo Tomioka and composition/arranging with Naohiro Iwai and Takashi Ueno. He produces wind chamber music and many arrangements and original works for wind band. He annually presents works to "Prosperous Future for Band into the 21st Century KYO-EN" as a member-composer.

Major works include the concert march "Take Off" (1986 All Japan Band Competition test piece), "A Reminiscence of the Times" for Wind Orchestra (commissioned for the 30th anniversary of Ryukoku University Symphonic Band), "Suite on Celtic Folk Songs", "Dance Celebration" (commissioned for the 25th anniversary of Itoigawa Symphonic Band), "Intermezzo" (commissioned for the 15th anniversary of Niigata Wind Orchestra), Five Chapters for Trombone Quartet "On the Night of the Centaur Festival", "Prelude to a New Era" (Tokyo Trumpet Choir commission) and so on.

He is an instructor of Tamagawa Gakuen Jr. H.S. Division Wind Band, visiting director of Ryukoku University Symphonic Band, regular conductor of Itoigawa Symphonic Band, and music supervisor of Morioka Wind Band.

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Toda, Akira

Akira Toda was born in Aomori-prefecture, Japan. He earned his Bachelors Degree of Music in Euphonium Performance from Kunitachi College of Music in 1975. That same year he began his Certificate Diploma at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He studied euphonium with Kiyoshi Oishi and conducting with David Howell. Toda has appeared as a noteworthy euphonium player since he was a student. In 1978 he made his first debut as a conductor, and he has been an active clinician, composer, arranger, and conductor to the present.
He has organized Japanese concerts and clinics with James Swearingen, Robert Sheldon, and Frank Bencriscutto. His passion as an educator led him to hold lectures at University of Illinois in December 1994 and April of 1997, where he presented the current state of band education in Japan. His lectures were presented in the November, 1998 "Up Date", an American music education bulletin, as well as at a music conference for educators that same year.
His compositional genres are diverse: solo piano, chamber winds, choir, small ensemble and symphonic band. His "Procession to Peace" was chosen as a required piece for the All Japan Band Competition in 2001 and also in Taiwan in 2005. Toda was honored with a cultural award from his home city, Shichinohe, and is the director of the euphonium tuba ensemble, Tubium.

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Wada, Naoya

Naoya Wada was born in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan in 1986. As an internationally recognized composer, he has been commissioned numerous times to write for band, ensembles, and radio programs, and often works as a guest conductor and clinician. He is one of the few Japanese composers making significant contributions to educational band music.
His works for concert band, string orchestra, and small ensembles have been performed, published, and recorded worldwide by groups ranging from elementary to the professional level. He has received several Bandworld Top 100 recognitions and several J.W.Pepper Editor's Choice citations.
In 2009, he received the 42nd Kitakyushu Cultural Award for meritorious deeds.

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Yagisawa, Satoshi

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 (2008) 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 young composers in Japan today. Currently he teaches wind, string, and percussion instruments at Tokyo Music & 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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Yamane, Akiko

Akiko Yamane studied composition at the Kyoto City University of Arts with Hinoharu Matsumoto, and at Hochschule für Künste Bremen with Younghi Pagh-Paan as an exchange student. Yamane has also studied with Shuichi Maeda, Noriko Nakamura and Motoharu Kawashima. She participated in a Composition Master Course in Akiyoshidai’s Summer (2003), at the Composers Forum in Tokyo (2004), in the Takefu international music festival (2005, 2007 as an invited composer), and at Royaumont Voix Nouvelles in France (2006).

Her works have been performed and featured by Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Izumi Sinfonietta Osaka, Tokyo Ensemnable Factory, Ensemble Muromachi, Nishihara Kakushin (biwa), Teion Duo, Noriko Ogawa (piano), Royaumont Voix Nouvelles in France, Music from Japan in NY, ARS MUSICA in Liege. She also has many works in collaboration with other arts such as visual arts: She has performed during "AIDA MAKOTO: MONUMENTO FOR NOTHING" in 2013, performed at the SS collection of fashion label "pays des fees" on the Metropolitan streetcar Arakawa Line.

​Her expressional core is "pop toxicity" which is one of the symbols of present age Japanese society, and has been created by mass production, mass consumption. Yamane, in her own words, "tries to create music using the concept of "visible sound" as a figurative art. The phenomenon of sound is in fact invisible, but as it is experienced as installation art, I strive to enable the listener to trace the outlines of sound movement and feel shapes, colors, textures and the space beside them in their own inner perception." It is a style that monitors and meditively watches the texture of one sound and the sound as a state, producing works that delicately cut into the diversity in consumptionism.

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Yamashita, Yuka

Yamashita graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts earning bachelors and masters degrees in composition, studying with Atsutada Odaka and Hidehiko Hinohara. She received the New Composer Award from Japan Society for Contemporary Music in 2013, and Composition Award for her choir piece from the 25th Asahi Composition Contest in 2014.

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Yamazato, Sawako

Sawako Yamazato was born in Hyogo Prefecture. She began piano at age four and euphonium at age ten. She graduated from music training at Okayama Joto High School and studied euphonium with Toru Miura and Syunichi Nomura at Kunitachi College of Music. Yamazato began arranging while working for a music publishing company. Her first original composition was a work for euphonium and band commissioned by Toru Miura in 2004. She studied composition with Yukio Kikuchi at Tokyo Music and Media Arts Shobi.

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Yamazawa, Hiroyuki

Yamazawa graduated first in class from Senzoku Gakuen College of Music with bachelors and masters degrees. He received a Grand Prix from the 12th Japan Classic Music Society. His works for band, percussion ensemble, string orchestra and marching band have been released by major publishers.
Yamazawa serves as a music director of Hokuso Wind Orchestra and adjunct professor at Senzoku College of Music.

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Yoshioka, Takayoshi

Marimba player, composer. Graduated from Toho Gakuen University Faculty of Music. Studied in New England Conservatory of Music. Performed in New York in 1986 for the American Independence Festival. 1993 Kiev Music Festival performed in Ukraine. Asian Contemporary Music Festival Seoul Performance. 1997 International Percussion Music Festival Mexico performance. In 1999, performed with the NHK Symphony Orchestra in the United States. In 2001, performed at the 15th Anniversary Concert of Taipei Percussion Ensemble. Performed in Puerto Rico at the 2004 International Percussion Music Festival. 2005 Japan Foundation funded Colombia, Guatemala performance. In 2009, performed his own works in Taipei Taiwan. Performed his own work at the Minneapolis Marimba Festival in 2010. 2011 Asia tour held in Taipei, Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai. Judge of China and Taiwan Marimba Competition. Performed his own work at the Chiapas Marimba Festival in Mexico in 2012. He has performed his work in the United States, Ukraine, Turkey, Spain, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Thailand, Taiwan, China and Korea.
He played his marimba concerto with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Ukrainian Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Chavez Symphony Orchestra and Paraguay National Symphony Orchestra. Won the University of Cincinnati International Composition Competition. Won the PAS International Composition Competition. Muramatsu Award. Received the Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Festival Grand Prize. Aoyama Music Award Baroque Saar Award. Studied Marimba under Keiko Abe. He studied composition under Akira Miyoshi.

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