Masayoshi Kabe (加部 正義, Kabe Masayoshi) (5 November 1948 – 26 September 2020) often known by his stage names Louis or…
Masayoshi Kabe (加部 正義, Kabe Masayoshi) (5 November 1948 – 26 September 2020) often known by his stage names Louis or Louise Louis, was a Japanese bassist and guitarist from Yokohama, Japan. Numerous online sources present him as half-French and half-Japanese, but this was actually a marketing creation from the producers of the Golden Cups; Kabe was half-American and half-Japanese. He began his career in 1966 as a member of The Golden Cups. He was a studio musician throughout the 1970s and also a member of various bands such as Speed, Glue & Shinki until he joined the group Johnny, Louis & Char (later renamed Pink Cloud) in 1978. After they disbanded in 1994 he formed the instrumental side-project ZokuZokuKazoku (ZZK) while providing support to other musicians as a bassist. He also recorded three albums as bass player for a reunion version of the 1970s band Vodka Collins from 1995 to 1998. He died on 26 September 2020, of multiple organ failure.
Famous Japanese People: Instrumentalist
Instrumentalist: 223 people
Ryo Fukui (福居良, Fukui Ryō; [ɸɯ.kɯꜜi ɾʲoː]; June 1, 1948 – March 15, 2016) was a Japanese jazz pianist based in Sapporo.…
Ryo Fukui (福居良, Fukui Ryō; [ɸɯ.kɯꜜi ɾʲoː]; June 1, 1948 – March 15, 2016) was a Japanese jazz pianist based in Sapporo. He played regularly at the "Slowboat" jazz club in Sapporo, which he and his wife Yasuko owned. Fukui taught and performed internationally until his death in 2016. His work has seen a spike in popularity after his death, with several reissues of his albums.
Kōji Makaino (馬飼野 康二, Makaino Kōji; born 26 January 1948) is a Japanese pop music composer, arranger, and musician. He…
Kōji Makaino (馬飼野 康二, Makaino Kōji; born 26 January 1948) is a Japanese pop music composer, arranger, and musician. He is the elder brother of composer Shunichi Makaino.
Heiichiro Ohyama (大山 平一郎, Ōyama Heiichirō; born January 1, 1947 in Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese conductor and violist.
Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博, June 3, 1947 – October 24, 2012) was a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was an influential keyboardist…
Hiroshi Sato (佐藤博, June 3, 1947 – October 24, 2012) was a Japanese singer-songwriter. He was an influential keyboardist in the Japanese jazz fusion and soft rock scenes during the late 1970s and 1980s, later dubbed "city pop".
Jun Fukamachi (深町 純, Fukamachi Jun; May 21, 1946 – November 22, 2010) was a Japanese jazz fusion composer, arranger…
Jun Fukamachi (深町 純, Fukamachi Jun; May 21, 1946 – November 22, 2010) was a Japanese jazz fusion composer, arranger, and keyboardist. He played with The Brecker Brothers and Steve Gadd and released albums for Polydor and Toshiba in the 1970s.
Yoshiaki Hoshi (星 吉昭, Hoshi Yoshiaki; March 16, 1946 – October 1, 2004), born in Wakayanagi, Miyagi, Japan, was a…
Yoshiaki Hoshi (星 吉昭, Hoshi Yoshiaki; March 16, 1946 – October 1, 2004), born in Wakayanagi, Miyagi, Japan, was a Japanese musician, composer, arranger and synthesizer player, best known for his band Himekami.
Akira Sakata (born 21 February 1945) is a Japanese free jazz saxophonist.
Tatsuo Sasaki (佐々木 達夫; born March 30, 1944) is a Japanese percussionist, playing timpani, xylophone and marimba. He…
Tatsuo Sasaki (佐々木 達夫; born March 30, 1944) is a Japanese percussionist, playing timpani, xylophone and marimba. He became a naturalized American citizen and lives in San Diego, California.
Nobuko Imai (今井 信子, Imai Nobuko; born March 18, 1943) is a Japanese classical violist with a career as soloist and…
Nobuko Imai (今井 信子, Imai Nobuko; born March 18, 1943) is a Japanese classical violist with a career as soloist and chamber musician. Since 1988 she has played a 1690 Andrea Guarneri instrument.
Seiichi Tanaka (田中 誠一, Tanaka Seiichi) is the first Japan-trained teacher of kumidaiko, or taiko, in the United States…
Seiichi Tanaka (田中 誠一, Tanaka Seiichi) is the first Japan-trained teacher of kumidaiko, or taiko, in the United States and is largely regarded as the father of the art form in North America.
Itaru Oki (沖 至, Oki Itaru; September 10, 1941 – August 25, 2020) was a Japanese jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist.
Kazue Sawai (沢井 一恵, Sawai Kazue; 1 January 1941 – 15 February 2026) was a Japanese koto player noted for her…
Kazue Sawai (沢井 一恵, Sawai Kazue; 1 January 1941 – 15 February 2026) was a Japanese koto player noted for her performance of contemporary classical music and free improvisation.
Yuriko Kuronuma (黒沼 ユリ子, Kuronuma Yuriko) (born 4 June 1940, in Tokyo) is a Japanese violinist. Starting the violin at…
Yuriko Kuronuma (黒沼 ユリ子, Kuronuma Yuriko) (born 4 June 1940, in Tokyo) is a Japanese violinist. Starting the violin at age 8, she won in 1956 the first prize and special award in The Music Competition of Japan, one of the most prestigious music contests in Japan. After that, she studied in the Musical Arts Academy of Prague in Czech Republic.
Masabumi Kikuchi (菊地 雅章, Kikuchi Masabumi; 19 October 1939 – 6 July 2015) was a Japanese jazz pianist and composer…
Masabumi Kikuchi (菊地 雅章, Kikuchi Masabumi; 19 October 1939 – 6 July 2015) was a Japanese jazz pianist and composer known for his unique playing style. He worked with many diverse musicians, including Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, and collaborated with Gil Evans and Tōru Takemitsu.
Katsuo Ohno (Japanese: 大野克夫, Hepburn: Katsuo Ōno; born September 12, 1939 in Kyoto) is a Japanese musician and composer…
Katsuo Ohno (Japanese: 大野克夫, Hepburn: Katsuo Ōno; born September 12, 1939 in Kyoto) is a Japanese musician and composer who has scored multiple films and anime. His most notable works are theme music of detective drama Taiyō ni Hoero! and anime series Detective Conan. As keyboardist, Ohno was a member of the group sounds band The Spiders from 1961 to 1970, and the rock supergroup Pyg from 1971 to 1972, which led to him becoming a member of the Takayuki Inoue Band and a backing instrumentalist for Kenji Sawada from 1972 to 1979.
Sōju Nosaka II (二代目 野坂 操壽, Nidaime Nosaka Sōju; May 6, 1938 – August 27, 2019) was a prominent Japanese koto player…
Sōju Nosaka II (二代目 野坂 操壽, Nidaime Nosaka Sōju; May 6, 1938 – August 27, 2019) was a prominent Japanese koto player, specializing in contemporary music. Her real name was Keiko Nosaka (野坂 恵子, Nosaka Keiko).
Tadao Sawai (沢井 忠夫, Sawai Tadao; 1938 – April 1, 1997) was a Japanese koto player and composer. He was renowned all…
Tadao Sawai (沢井 忠夫, Sawai Tadao; 1938 – April 1, 1997) was a Japanese koto player and composer. He was renowned all over Japan for his skill at the koto and also received acclaim for his compositions.
Hōzan Yamamoto (山本 邦山, Yamamoto Hōzan; October 6, 1937 - February 10, 2014 in Ōtsu, Shiga prefecture) was a Japanese…
Hōzan Yamamoto (山本 邦山, Yamamoto Hōzan; October 6, 1937 - February 10, 2014 in Ōtsu, Shiga prefecture) was a Japanese shakuhachi player, composer and lecturer. Yamamoto started playing the Japanese bamboo flute shakuhachi at the age of nine. He was initially taught by his father and then by Chozan Nakanishi. After graduating from Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Studies in 1958, he participated in UNESCO's World Folk Music Festival and graduated from Seiha Music College in 1962. Together with koto player Shinichi Yuize and Tony Scott, he recorded the album Music for Zen Meditation in February 1964. After forming the widely acclaimed "Shakuhachi Sanbon Kai" trio in 1966 with Reibo Aoki and Katsuya Yokoyama, he electrified the conservative traditional scene by applying his talents to a variety of crossover collaborations. These have led him to work with such world-renowned musicians as Ravi Shankar, Helen Merrill, Gary Peacock and Karl Berger, and also with flute colleagues Jean-Pierre Rampal and Chris Hinze. In 1980 he was invited to the renowned Donaueschingen music festival with his trio. He recorded music for the movie Samurai Reincarnation film and the album Masters of Zen: Shakuhachi & Organ with Wolfgang Mitterer. Through the 1970s and 1980s until his death he led the shakuhachi world receiving innumerable honors, including Japanese Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Education Ministerial awards for his performances, recordings (numbering in the hundreds) and compositions. He served as lecturer at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and as head of the Hozan-kai Shakuhachi Guild. In 2002 he was designated Living National Treasure of Japan. In 2004, he was awarded a Medal with Purple Ribbon. In 2009, he was awarded an Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. On February 10, 2014, he died at a hospital in Tokyo.
Keiko Abe (安倍 圭子, Abe Keiko; born April 18, 1937) is a Japanese composer and marimba player. She has been a primary…
Keiko Abe (安倍 圭子, Abe Keiko; born April 18, 1937) is a Japanese composer and marimba player. She has been a primary figure in the development of the marimba, in terms of expanding both technique and repertoire, and through her collaboration with the Yamaha Corporation, developed the modern five-octave concert marimba.
Yūzō Kayama (加山 雄三, Kayama Yūzō; born April 11, 1937) is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and actor.
Takashi Yamaguchi (Japanese: 山口崇; 17 November 1936 – 18 April 2025) was a Japanese actor.
Akira Ishikawa (石川 晶, Ishikawa Akira; November 10, 1934 - February 10, 2002) was a Japanese jazz drummer and…
Akira Ishikawa (石川 晶, Ishikawa Akira; November 10, 1934 - February 10, 2002) was a Japanese jazz drummer and bandleader. Ishikawa began his music career with Shin Matsumoto and New Pacific. In the following years he toured with his own formations like Akira Miyazawa Modern Allstars and Toshio Hosaka. In later years he played with Toshiyuki Miyama and his band New Herd; in 1964/65 he recordEd with Miyamas Modern Jazz Highlights and Modern Jukebox. From the late '60s, he recorded under his own name, releasing Soul Session (1969) and The Gentures in Beat Pops (1970), with, among others, Hiromasa Suzuki, Kiyoshi Sugimoto and Masaoki Terakawa. With his band Count Buffaloes, the jazz-rock oriented album Electrum was out in 1970, followed by Drums Concerto (1971), African Rock (1972), Uganda (1972) and Get Up! (1975). He also worked with Yoshiko Goto, Koichi Oki, Kiyoshi Sugimoto (Our Time, 1974) and Akio Sasaki (Berklee Connection, 1980) in the 1970s. In the field of jazz he was involved between 1964 and 1980 in 14 recording sessions.
Boo Takagi (高木 ブー, Takagi Bū) (born 8 March 1933, Toshima, Tokyo) is a Japanese comedian and musician (guitarist and…
Boo Takagi (高木 ブー, Takagi Bū) (born 8 March 1933, Toshima, Tokyo) is a Japanese comedian and musician (guitarist and ukulele player). His real name is Tomonosuke Takagi (高木 友之助). Takagi is one of the members of The Drifters.
Gorō Yamaguchi (山口 五郎; February 26, 1933 – January 3, 1999) was a Japanese shakuhachi player who worked in both solo…
Gorō Yamaguchi (山口 五郎; February 26, 1933 – January 3, 1999) was a Japanese shakuhachi player who worked in both solo and ensemble performances. He was noted for his influential recordings of traditional Japanese music and one of his pieces was selected by NASA to be included on the Voyager Golden Record and launched into space.
Sadao Watanabe (渡辺 貞夫, Watanabe Sadao; born 1 February 1933) is a Japanese jazz musician who plays alto saxophone and…
Sadao Watanabe (渡辺 貞夫, Watanabe Sadao; born 1 February 1933) is a Japanese jazz musician who plays alto saxophone and sopranino saxophone. He is known for his bossa nova recordings, although his work encompasses many styles, with collaborations from musicians all over the world.
Hisao Oma "Isao" Suzuki (鈴木 勲, Suzuki Isao; 2 January 1933 – 8 March 2022) was a Japanese jazz double-bassist.
Hideo Shiraki (白木秀雄; 1 January 1933 in Tokyo – 31 August 1972) was a Japanese jazz drummer and bandleader, best known…
Hideo Shiraki (白木秀雄; 1 January 1933 in Tokyo – 31 August 1972) was a Japanese jazz drummer and bandleader, best known for his work in the 1950s and 1960s. Famed earlier on for hard bop, he later explored world music and became a pioneer of fusing traditional music forms with jazz structuring. He emerged in the new Japanese jazz scene of the 1950s that grew out of the influence of the US occupying forces. He studied percussion at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and, during this period, played with Masashi Nagao's Blue Coats. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, his quintet was popular in Japan and was associated with the "funky boom" craze for hard bop. Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto, Terumasa Hino and Yuzuru Sera all passed through his quintet. Notable albums include 1961's In Fiesta (Teichiku Japan), which included a version of Benny Golson's "Five Spot After Dark". Performers on the album included Hidehiko Matsumoto on tenor and flute and Yuzuru Sera on piano. 1965's Sakura Sakura united the quintet (including Terumasa Hino on trumpet) with three female koto players as Shiraki moved into a world jazz approach. An invited November 1965 performance at the Berlin Jazz Festival, organised by Joachim-Ernst Berendt, saw the quintet work with a koto quartet and was feted for mixing jazz with traditional Japanese music. He also played with Toshiko Akiyoshi, including two tracks on her 1961 album Toshiko Meets Her Old Pals. On July 22, 1966, he played with the John Coltrane quintet in Tokyo while the group was touring Japan.
Isao Tomita (冨田 勲, Tomita Isao; 22 April 1932 – 5 May 2016) (often known simply as Tomita) was a Japanese composer…
Isao Tomita (冨田 勲, Tomita Isao; 22 April 1932 – 5 May 2016) (often known simply as Tomita) was a Japanese composer regarded as one of the pioneers of electronic music and space music as well as one of the most famous producers of analog synthesizer arrangements. In addition to creating note-by-note realizations, Tomita made extensive use of the sound-design capabilities of his instrument, using synthesizers to create new sounds to accompany and enhance his electronic realizations of acoustic instruments. He also made effective use of analog music sequencers and the Mellotron, and featured futuristic science-fiction themes, while laying the foundations for synth-pop music and trance-like rhythms. Many of his albums are electronic versions and adaptations of familiar classical music pieces. He received four Grammy Award nominations for his 1974 album based on music by Claude Debussy, Snowflakes Are Dancing.
Yoko Nagae Ceschina (チェスキーナ・永江洋子) (5 April 1932 – 10 January 2015) was a Japanese-born patron of the arts and noted…
Yoko Nagae Ceschina (チェスキーナ・永江洋子) (5 April 1932 – 10 January 2015) was a Japanese-born patron of the arts and noted patroness of classical music.
Masaru Imada (今田勝, Imada Masaru; 21 March 1932 – 30 May 2025) was a Japanese jazz pianist and composer.
Kei Tani (谷啓, Tani Kei) (born Yasuo Watanabe (渡部 泰雄, Watanabe Yasuo); 22 February 1932 – 11 September 2010) was a…
Kei Tani (谷啓, Tani Kei) (born Yasuo Watanabe (渡部 泰雄, Watanabe Yasuo); 22 February 1932 – 11 September 2010) was a Japanese comedian, actor and musician. Born in Tokyo, he learned to play the trombone and, while a student at Chuo University, began playing in jazz bands performing for American soldiers during the Occupation of Japan. He quit university and joined the City Slickers with Frankie Sakai in 1953. In 1956, he joined the comic-jazz band The Crazy Cats with Hajime Hana and Hitoshi Ueki. He came to fame when the Crazy Cats started appearing on television, especially through their variety show "Shabondama Holiday," and in movies, through comedy series such as the "Irresponsible" (Musekinin) series at Toho. Some of his nonsense one-word gags, such as "gachon" became buzzwords imitated throughout the nation. He also appeared alone in dramatic roles on film and television, was a regular in the "Tsuribaka Nisshi" film series, and continued to be a popular figure on variety TV. His real name was Yasuo Watanabe, but his stage name, especially with the Japanese name order "Tani Kei," was based on a pun on the name Danny Kaye. He died of a brain contusion on 11 September 2010 after falling down the stairs in his Mitaka home.
Tatsuya Takahashi (高橋 達也, Takahashi Tatsuya; December 24, 1931 in Tsuruoka, Yamagata – February 29, 2008 in Tokyo) was…
Tatsuya Takahashi (高橋 達也, Takahashi Tatsuya; December 24, 1931 in Tsuruoka, Yamagata – February 29, 2008 in Tokyo) was a Japanese jazz saxophonist. Takahashi played on US military bases in the early 1950s, and later in the decade moved to Tokyo. He worked with Keiichiro Ebihara from 1961, and by 1966 was leading his own ensemble, Tokyo Union, which remained active until 1989. In the 1970s he played at the Monterey and Montreux Jazz Festivals. After leaving Tokyo Union, Takahashi worked in jazz education, and in 1996 founded a new ensemble, Jazz Groovys.
Chōsuke Ikariya (いかりや長介, Ikariya Chōsuke; November 1, 1931 – March 20, 2004) was a Japanese comedian and film actor…
Chōsuke Ikariya (いかりや長介, Ikariya Chōsuke; November 1, 1931 – March 20, 2004) was a Japanese comedian and film actor, and leader of the comedy group The Drifters. His nickname was "Chō-san" (長さん).
Shungo Sawada (born Tokyo, February 10, 1930 - died August 28, 2006) was a Japanese jazz guitarist. Sawada began…
Shungo Sawada (born Tokyo, February 10, 1930 - died August 28, 2006) was a Japanese jazz guitarist. Sawada began playing guitar at twelve years old, and played in his early twenties on US military installations. He founded his own group, Double Beats, in 1954, and led a five-piece band in the mid-1960s. His Japanese sidemen included Shotaro Moriyasu, Norio Maeda, Akitoshi Igarashi, and Motohiko Hino; he also played with visiting American musicians such as Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Thad Jones, Helen Merrill, Oscar Peterson, and Sonny Stitt. He was the founder of the label Elec in 1972, and later taught at Roots College of Music in Tokyo.
Eiji Kitamura (Japanese: 北村 英治; born April 8, 1929) is a Japanese jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist originally…
Eiji Kitamura (Japanese: 北村 英治; born April 8, 1929) is a Japanese jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist originally from Tokyo who made his debut at the age of 22. Kitamura devoted himself to clarinet playing while still an undergraduate at Keio University in Tokyo. He first came to prominence in the U.S. at the 20th Anniversary Jam Session of the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1977. His following in Japan was built previous to this on his regular television program. He prefers to interpret traditional swing jazz rather than modern jazz, and according to Allmusic is most strongly influenced by Benny Goodman and Woody Herman.
Hiroshi Inuzuka (犬塚 弘, Inuzuka Hiroshi; 23 March 1929 – 27 October 2023) was a Japanese actor, comedian and bassist.…
Hiroshi Inuzuka (犬塚 弘, Inuzuka Hiroshi; 23 March 1929 – 27 October 2023) was a Japanese actor, comedian and bassist. Inuzuka was one of the members of the Crazy Cats. His first starring role in the film was in Suteki na Konban wa directed by Yoshitarō Nomura and played the leading roles in six films in his acting career. Inuzuka announced his retirement as an actor and made his final appearance in Labyrinth of Cinema directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi in 2019. He then retired to Atami. Hiroshi Inuzuka died on 27 October 2023, at the age of 94.
Toshiya Eto (江藤 俊哉, Etō Toshiya; 9 November 1927 – 22 January 2008) was a Japanese violinist.
Iwamoto Mari (巖本 真理, 19 January 1926―11 May 1979) was a Japanese violinist and educator. She founded the Iwamoto Mari…
Iwamoto Mari (巖本 真理, 19 January 1926―11 May 1979) was a Japanese violinist and educator. She founded the Iwamoto Mari String Quartet and was a professor at the Tokyo Academy of Music.
Daihachi Oguchi (小口 大八, Oguchi Daihachi; February 27, 1924 – June 27, 2008) was a Japanese drummer best known for…
Daihachi Oguchi (小口 大八, Oguchi Daihachi; February 27, 1924 – June 27, 2008) was a Japanese drummer best known for popularizing taiko. Master Japanese drummer Daihachi Oguchi is credited with inventing kumi-daiko, the taiko ensemble, in 1951. After founding his own ensemble, Osuwa Daiko, he led the spread of modern Taiko throughout Japan and the U.S. A former jazz drummer, Daihachi Oguchi took ancient rhythms, broke them down and created new arrangements and compositions to accommodate an ensemble of drummers. One day, he was asked to interpret an old sheet of taiko music for Suwa Shrine, which was found in an old warehouse. The sheet music was written in an old Japanese notation and he could not understand it at first. He found an old man who had performed the tune, and then he succeeded in interpreting it at last. However, as a jazz player, the rhythm pattern of the tune was too simple for him to play. He wondered why nobody played taiko together. A marvelous idea came across his mind and made him decide to break through the tradition. Inspired by a western drum set, he formed a group in which each player beats a different taiko; in short, he gave the group a function as a drum set. A high-pitched Shime-daiko established a basic rhythm like a snare drum does. A growling Nagado-daiko added accents like a bass drum. His intention was right to the point, and this epoch-making invention changed the taiko music forever. Oguchi helped turn the traditional form into a dramatic performance spectacle, elevating the traditional folk sounds of taiko to modern music played in concert halls, not just festivals and shrines. The period from 1970s to 1990s in Japan seemed to be the Renaissance of taiko music. The activities of Osuwa Daiko and other early kumi-daiko groups in 1960s, and the taiko performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 ignited the phenomenal taiko boom for next decades. Mr. Oguchi helped found top taiko groups, including San Francisco Taiko Dojo, which has performed in Hollywood movies and on international tours since forming 40 years ago. Oguchi also led and starred in the performance of drumming and dance at the closing ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Olympics. "Your heart is a taiko. All people listen to a taiko rhythm dontsuku-dontsuku in their mother's womb," Daihachi Oguchi told The Associated Press at that time. "It's instinct to be drawn to taiko drumming." "In taiko, man becomes the sound. In taiko, you can hear the sound through your skin". In 2008, Daihachi Oguchi died at age 84 after being hit by a motorist while crossing the street. Oguchi had been scheduled to perform with Kodo, the world-renowned Taiko performance group.
Shōtarō Moriyasu (守安 祥太郎, Moriyasu Shōtarō; January 5, 1924 – September 25, 1955) was a Japanese jazz pianist. He…
Shōtarō Moriyasu (守安 祥太郎, Moriyasu Shōtarō; January 5, 1924 – September 25, 1955) was a Japanese jazz pianist. He became a leading bebop musician in Japan in the early to mid-1950s, but was never officially recorded. His suicide at the age of 31 contributed to his image as a tragic artistic figure in jazz.
Katsuhiko Haida (1911–1982) was a Japanese film actor and music composer. He played an important role in the 1951 film…
Katsuhiko Haida (1911–1982) was a Japanese film actor and music composer. He played an important role in the 1951 film Tokyo File 212. He also appeared in The Burning Sky, and Escapade From Japan. His brother is Yukihiko Haida, and they formed the Nihon Ukulele Association together.
Kishi Kōichi (貴志 康一; March 31, 1909 – November 17, 1937) was a Japanese composer, conductor and violinist. Kishi spent…
Kishi Kōichi (貴志 康一; March 31, 1909 – November 17, 1937) was a Japanese composer, conductor and violinist. Kishi spent his childhood in Miyakojima, a district of Osaka. Following the example of his mother, he learned to play the violin. At the age of 18 he went to Europe to complete his training as a violinist at the Geneva Conservatory and the Berlin School of Music. He then studied composition with Paul Hindemith and conducting with Wilhelm Furtwängler. In 1934, at the age of 25, he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic. As a composer, Kishi's composition includes orchestral works, stage works, chamber works, film scores and songs. In 1935, he went back to Japan. In 1937, the 28-year-old Kishi Kōichi died of a heart condition in Japan.
Motonari Iguchi 井口 基成 (Iguchi Motonari) (17 May 1908, in Tokyo – 29 September 1983, in Tokyo) was a Japanese pianist…
Motonari Iguchi 井口 基成 (Iguchi Motonari) (17 May 1908, in Tokyo – 29 September 1983, in Tokyo) was a Japanese pianist and educator.
Yoichi Hiraoka (平岡 養一, Yoichi Hiraoka; August 16, 1907 – July 13, 1981) was a xylophonist in Japan. He permanently…
Yoichi Hiraoka (平岡 養一, Yoichi Hiraoka; August 16, 1907 – July 13, 1981) was a xylophonist in Japan. He permanently resided in the United States in 1963.
Sugii Kōichi (杉井幸一; 1906 - 1942) was a Japanese bandleader, composer, arranger, conductor, singer, and accordionist who…
Sugii Kōichi (杉井幸一; 1906 - 1942) was a Japanese bandleader, composer, arranger, conductor, singer, and accordionist who was one of the pioneers of Japanese jazz. His musical arrangements skillfully bridged Eastern and Western styles, combining American orchestral jazz with Japanese pop and Chinese folk music to create a sophisticated and melodic hybrid style which one scholar has deemed, "among the most compellingly original in Japanese prewar and wartime jazz", and another scholar has called "the apex of wartime jazz" in Japan.
Ueda Masashi (上田仁) (December 4, 1904 – December 26, 1966) was a Japanese conductor, pianist, and bassoonist.
Hashimoto Kunihiko (橋本國彦; also Qunihico Hashimoto) (September 14, 1904 – May 6, 1949) was a Japanese composer…
Hashimoto Kunihiko (橋本國彦; also Qunihico Hashimoto) (September 14, 1904 – May 6, 1949) was a Japanese composer, violinist, conductor, and musical educator.
Noboru Itō (伊藤昇, Itō Noboru; 31 January 1903 – 7 February 1993) was a Japanese composer who wrote experimental pieces…
Noboru Itō (伊藤昇, Itō Noboru; 31 January 1903 – 7 February 1993) was a Japanese composer who wrote experimental pieces for, among others, piano, chamber orchestra, and ballet suites. His work was part of the Art competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics. During the 1930s and 1940s, he also wrote the music scores for films produced by the P.C.L. film studios and its successor, the Toho film studios, including early works by directors Mikio Naruse and Satsuo Yamamoto.
Hideo Saito (齋藤 秀雄, Saitō Hideo; May 23, 1902 – September 18, 1974) was a Japanese cellist, conductor, and music…
Hideo Saito (齋藤 秀雄, Saitō Hideo; May 23, 1902 – September 18, 1974) was a Japanese cellist, conductor, and music lecturer.