Toshio Hosokawa
TOSHIO HOSOKAWA (1955, Hiroshima, Japan) went to West Berlin to study composition with Isang Yun at the Hochschule der Künste. He subsequently studied with Klaus Huber at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg (1983–1986). In 1980, he participated for the first time in the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt, where his work was performed. Since then, he has presented his works in Europe and Japan, gaining an international reputation and winning numerous awards and prizes, including First Prize in the Composers’ Competition to mark the centenary of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (1982), the Rheingau Musikpreis (1998), the Duisburger Musikpreis (1998) and ‘musica viva-Preises der ard und bmw ag’ (2001). In 2001, Hosokawa became a member of Akademie der Künste in Berlin. He has been invited to nearly all of the major contemporary festivals in Europe as composer-in-residence, guest composer or lecturer (Darmstadt Courses, the Venice Biennale, the ‘Mozarteum’ Summer Academy in Salzburg, the International Music Week in Lucerne, ‘musica viva’ in Münich).
His latest orchestral work, Circulating Ocean, was commissioned by the Salzburg Festival and premiered there in August 2005 by the Vienna Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev.
Works (selection): Sen I for flute (1984, rev. 1986), New Seeds of Contemplation for four singing monks and five gagaku musicians (1986, rev. 1995), Ferne Landschaft I–III for orchestra (1987, 1996, 1996), Flute Concerto ‘Per-Sonare’ (1988), Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima for soloists, narrators, choir, tape and orchestra (1989, rev. 2000 - 2001), Landscape I for string quatret (1992), Landscape III for violin and orchestra (1993), Sen VI for percussion (1993), Super Flumina Babylonis for soprano, alto and chamber orchestra with string orchestra ad lib. (1995), Utsurohi-Nagi for shô and symphony orchestra with harp, celesta and percussion (1996), Cello Concerto – In Memory of Toru Takemitsu (1997), Vision of Lear, opera (1997 - 1998), Cloudscapes – Moon Night for shô and accordion (1998), Memory of the Sea (Hiroshima Symphony) for orchestra (1998 - 1999), Koto-Uta for voice and koto (1999), Somon-ka for voice, koto, cello and ensemble (2001 - 2002), Garden at First Light for gagaku ensemble (2003), Wind from the ocean for orchestra (2003), Hanjo, opera (2003 - 2004), Mein Herzensgrund, unendlich tief for mixed choir and marimba (2004), Drawing for eight musicians (2004), Circulating Ocean for orchestra (2005).