Miyoshi, Akira

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Miyoshi, Akira

Miyoshi, Akira, Japanese composer and teacher; b. Tokyo, Jan. 10, 1933. He joined the Jiyû-Gakuen children’s piano group at the age of 3, graduating at the age of 6. He studied French literature, and in 1951 began to study music with Hirai, Ikenouchi, and Gallois-Montbrun, who was in Tokyo at the time. He obtained a stipend to travel to France and took lessons in composition with Challan and again with Gallois-Montbrun (1955–57); upon his return to Japan, he resumed his studies in French literature at the Univ. of Tokyo, obtaining a degree in 1961. In 1965 he was appointed instructor at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo.

Works

dramatic: poetical dramas:Happy Prince (1959); Ondine (1959). orch.:Symphonie concertante for Piano and Orch. (1954); Mutation symphonique (1958); 3 mouvements symphoniques (1960); Piano Concerto (1962); Concerto (Tokyo, Oct. 22, 1964); Violin Concerto (1965); Odes metamorphosées (1969); Concerto for Marimba and Strings (1969); Ouverture de fête (1973); Leos (1976); Noesis (1978); Distant As I Am (1982); En Passant for Violin and Orch. (1986); Fuji Litany, symphonic poem (1988); Etoiles à cordes for Violin and Strings (1991); Creation Sonore (1991). chamber: Sonata for Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano (1953); Violin Sonata (1954–55); Sonata for Flute, Cello, and Piano (1955); Torse I for Chamber Orch. (1959), III for Marimba (1968), IV for String Quartet and 4 Japanese Instruments (1972), and V for 3 Marimbas (1973); 2 string quartets (1962, 1967); Conversation, suite for Marimba (1962); 8 poèmes for Flute Ensemble (1969); Transit for Electronic and Concrete Sounds, Percussion, and Keyboard Instruments (1969); Hommage à musique de chambre, I, II, III, and IV for Flute, Violin and Piano (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974); Nocturne for Marimba, Percussion, Flute, Clarinet, and Double Bass (1973); Protase de loin à rien for 2 Guitars (1974); Concert Étude for 2 Marimbas (1977); Message Sonore for Flute, Clarinet, Marimba, Percussion, and Double Bass (1985); Constellation noir for String Quartet (1992). Piano: Sonata (1958); In Such Time, suite (1960); Études en forme de Sonate (1967); Kyõshõ for 2 Pianos (1983). VOCAL: Torse II for Chorus, Piano, Electone, and Percussion (1962); Duel for Soprano and Orch. (1964); 2 works of musical poesy:The Red Mask of Death I for Narrator, Orch., and Electronic Sound (1969) and II for Voice, Chorus, Orch., and Electronic Sound (1970); Shihenshôei for Flute, Chorus, and Orch. (1980); Kyõmon for Children’s Chorus and Orch. (1984); choruses; songs.