TETSUO MIYATA

Born in 1934 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Miyata started to study nagauta in 1950 with Rokukoji Kineya (one of Jokan Kineya’s best pupils) and in 1953 with Saburosuke Kineya VIII. He continued his studies of Japanese traditional music at the Music Department and in the Postgraduate Course of Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, under Professors Shotaro Yamada and Yuzo Nishigaki. He has been very active as a leading figure of nagauta and won many awards, including the 1988 National Arts Festival Award and the Art Encouragement Prize, as well as the 2003 Japan Art Academy Prize. He was appointed a Living National Treasure of Nagauta and Singing. In 2000 he was given the Medal with Purple of the Order of Culture.