Maki Ishii

was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. Biography Born in Tokyo, Ishii studied composition privately (with Akira Ifukube and Tomojiro Ikenouchi) and conducting with Akeo Watanabe from 1952 in Tokyo. In 1958, he moved to Berlin, where he continued his studies under Boris Blacher and Josef Rufer. In 1962 he returned to Japan . His music has been performed by the taiko group Kodo and he has composed for Japanese instruments as well as symphony orchestra and other Western instruments. In 1999, Ishii produced the opera Tojirareta Fune. That same year Ishii received the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon for his contributions to Japanese music. His father was the first recipient of the award 44 years earlier. He died in Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan, at the Kashiwa National Cancer Center of thyroid cancer on April 8, 2003, at the age of 66. Selected works Orchestral Music * Symphonic Poem GIOH, Op. 60. (1984); recorded 1988 DENON, The Contemporary Music of Japan, COCO-70960, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, Koizumi, Kazuhiro conductor, Akao, Michiko, Yokobue, a typical Japanese Flute. * Sō-Gū II for Gagaku and Symphonic Orchestra, recorded 1971 Parlophone by the Gagaku Ensemble and the