Yoshihiro Kanno

Not to be confused with animator Yoshihiro Kanno (菅野 芳弘).

Yoshihiro Kanno, born in Tokyo in 1953,

graduated from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music with the Master's Degree in 1980.

In 1979, he won the Prince Pierre of Monaco Musical Composition Award

for his "String Quartet".

In 1994, his "Les Temps de Miroirs--L'Horizontale du Vent"

for ryuteki, sho, and electronic music

became the recommended work of International Music Council sponsored by UNESCO.

His work for ballet "Mandala",

after being premiered in Tokyo in 1987,

was performed at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1988

and toured New York and Washington, D.C. in 1991.

Among his recent works, the work for Gagaku orchestra "Moon Phase"

was performed in Tokyo, Germany and Spain,

and the work for Japanese traditional ensemble "A Lunar Note"

was performed in Tokyo and several cities in the United States.

Kanno's compositions are founded on three genres--the Western orchestral music,

the Japanese traditional instruments, and the computer music.

Employing the various elements freely and unboundedly,

he has composed a number of pieces based on Japanese idioms and traditions.

Kanno's main works include:

"Mandala (orchestra piece for ballet)" (1987)

commissioned by the Matsuyama Ballet Company,

"Tapestry I with Voices of Shomyo (electronic sound)" (1988)

commissioned by the Computer Music Festival in Zurich,

"Hoshoji To Kuyo (restored instruments from the 8th century)" (1988)

commissioned by the National Theatre of Japan,

"Earth Tremor,Wind Rhyme(Japanese traditional instruments)" (1990)

commissioned by the National Theatre of Japan,

"Spherical Penitence (Shomyo--Buddhist monk chorus)" (1992)

commissioned by the National Theatre of Japan,

"City of Sand in a Labyrinth

for soprano, synthesizer, piano and two percussions" (1991)

commissioned by the Interlink Festival,

"The Remains of the Light I (piano)" (1992),

"Procession of Fire (computer music with Noh instruments)" (1993)

commissioned by the International Computer Music Conference,

"A Mythical Implosion (orchestra)" (1995)

commissioned by theÅ@NHK Symphony Orchestra,

"Saigyo--Procession of Light (Gagaku, Shomyo, ancient instruments)" (1995)

commissioned by the National Theatre of Japan,

"A Voice, The Pulsar--Ensphere (Shomyo with computer music)" (1996),

commissioned by the DENON.

"Moon Phase (Gagaku)" (1998)

commissioned by the Reigakusha Gagaku Ensemble,

"A Lunar Note (Japanese instruments)" (1998)

commissioned by theÅ@Pro Musica Nipponica,

"A Cluster of Stars II (cello and piano)" (1998)

recorded by Torleif Thedeen and Noriko Ogawa.