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Ushio Torikai

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ushio Torikai (鳥養潮; surname Torikai; born July 11, 1952, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. She is known for her highly individual musical voice, developed over many years of research and compositional experience in diverse musical fields including European classical music, traditional Japanese music, ancient Japanese music and computer/electronics. Early life Torikai was raised in Matsumoto, Nagano, where she attended Matsumoto Fukashi High School. She then moved to Tokyo and graduated from the faculty of Economics at Keio University. Career She started a concert series of her own music in 1979, and was invited to the Paris Biennale in 1982. Concerts of her music have since been presented in major cities in Europe, North America and Japan, including at the Georges Pompidou Center (Paris), the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (New York), the Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco), and Meiji Shrine (Tokyo). Torikai’s compositions vary considerably in instrumentation, ranging from Western orchestral instruments to traditional Japanese ones, computer/electronics to reconstructed ancient Asian instruments, and Western Choir to

Usko Meriläinen

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Usko Aatos Meriläinen (27 January 1930 – 12 November 2004) was a Finnish composer. He was born in Tampere. Usko Meriläinen studied orchestral conducting with Leo Funtek and composition with Aarre Merikanto at the Sibelius Academy. Meriläinen conducted the Finnish Opera Choir from 1954 to1956, the Kuopio City Orchestra from 1956 to 1957, and the Tampere Workers’ Theater Orchestra from 1957 to 1961. He was chairman of the Finnish Composers’ Association from 1981 to 1992 and served as artistic advisor of the Tampere Biennale. In 1954 his Partita for Brass won second prize in the Thor Johnson Brass Composition competition in Cincinnati, Ohio. Meriläinen won an award for Jussi’s film Private Area in 1963. He was also awarded the Pro Finlandia Prize in 1987. Meriläinen was married to choreographer Ruth Matso, who choreographed the premiere of his ballet Arius. Their daughter is actress Lena Meriläinen, and their son is producer Ari Meriläinen, who is the father of writer and politician Rosa Meriläinen. He is buried in the Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki. Selected works Symphonies * Symphony No. 1 (composed 1953–1955) *Symphony No. 2 (1964) *Symphony No. 3 (1971) *Alasin (The Anvil, Symph

Usman Anees

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Usman Anees (born Karachi, Pakistan) is a Pakistani concert pianist, composer, and music educator. He is among the few Pakistani classical musicians to have established both a domestic and international performance career in Western art music. Early Life and Training Anees began piano studies at the age of eight under his father, Ijaz Anees. He gave his debut public concert in Karachi at the age of eleven. He subsequently earned master’s degrees in both piano performance and composition from Trinity College of Music, London. At twenty, he made his international solo debut in Berlin with a recital at the Mendelssohn Gesellschaft, where his performance was received with considerable acclaim. Compositions As a composer, Anees has written works across multiple forms, including solo piano music, a Symphony, a Piano Concerto, and other orchestral compositions. His music was selected for performance by the orchestra of the Singaporean Music Festival. His compositions are published and available both in print and through online streaming platforms. References Footnotes Citations