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TOSHIRO MAYUZUMI (1929 - 1997)
Toshiro Mayuzumi was the first Japanese composer to create works of musique concrète
and electronic music. In 1951, he graduated from a Tokyo university and enjoyed
a successful premiere of his composition, "Sphenogrammes," at the ISCM
festival. While spending the next year studying in Paris, Mayuzumi discovered
the musique concrète scene. He returned to Tokyo and formed the composer
group Sannin no Kai ("Group of Three") and wrote the first musique concrète
work ("X, Y, Z" [1955]) and first electronic piece ("Shusaku I"
[1955]) in Japan. His experimentations also include the use of prepared piano
and unusual instrumentations. From the late '50s on, Mayuzumi's music was increasingly
influenced by traditional Japanese music and Buddhism, and was awarded the Otaka
Prize twice (in 1958 and 1967) for work in this vein. He also composed for theater
(including his collaborations with Mishima) and for film, including his award-winning
electronic score for Tokyo Olympic in the mid-'60s. Later in his career, Mayuzumi
also hosted a television show and served as the President of the Japan Federation
of Composers.
By Joslyn Layne
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