Joji Yuasa

is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.

Biography

Born in Kōriyama, Fukushima, he is self-taught as a composer.

In 1951 or 1952, together with the composer Tōru Takemitsu and other contemporary artists and musicians, he founded Jikken Kobo (Experimental Workshop), an organization dedicated to the exploration of new directions in the arts, including multimedia. [http://emfinstitute.emf.org/exhibits/jikkenkobo.html]

From 1981 to 1994 he was a music researcher and professor at the University of California, San Diego, where he is currently a professor emeritus. He has also served as a guest professor at the Tokyo College of Music since 1981, and a professor for the postgraduate course of the College of Arts at Nihon University since 1993.

On March 3, 2007, the Music From Japan ensemble will present a concert entitled "The World of Joji Yuasa" at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, which will be preceded by a pre-concert lecture by the composer. The concert will include early and recent works by the composer, as well as a new composition commissioned by Music From Japan. [http://www.musicfromjapan.org/mfjcur.html]

He lives in Encinitas, San Diego County, California.

Major works

*"Cosmos Haptic" for piano
*"Interpenetration" for two flutes
*"Projection Esemplastic for White Noise"
*"Triplicity" for double bass
*"Projection for String Quartet"
*"Utterance" for mixed chorus
*"Chronoplastic" for orchestra
*"On the Keyboard" for piano
*"Projections on Basho's Haiku" for mixed chorus and vibraphone
*"Not I, but the Wind..." for alto saxophone
*"Domain" for flute solo
*"Clarinet Solitude" for clarinet solo
*"Interpenetration No. 2" for two percussionists
*"Observations on Weather Forecasts" for baritone and trumpet
*"A Perspective for Orchestra"
*"Revealed Time" for viola and orchestra
*"Cosmos Haptic II" for piano
*"Mutterings" for soprano (or mezzo-soprano) and 7 players
*"Scenes from Basho"
*"Terms of Temporal Detailing - A Homage to David Hockney -" for bass flute
*"Eye on Genesis II" for orchestra
*"Piano Concertino"
*"Viola Locus" for viola
*"Violin Concerto - In Memory of Toru Takemitsu - "
*"Reigaku - In Memoriam Isang Yun - " for alto flute

Film scores

*Funeral Parade of Roses
*The Funeral
*Owls' Castle

External links

* [http://chorch.fc2web.com/e/yuasa_j.html Joji Yuasa - List of Works]
* [http://home.sprintmail.com/~emrichards/yuasa.html Joji Yuasa site]
*imdb name|id=0950630|name=Joji Yuasa