(b. 1968, Tōkyō).
Japanese composer of mostly orchestral and chamber works that have been performed in Asia, Europe and North America; he is also active as a conductor.
Mr. Natsuda studied composition with Jō Kondō, Masayuki Nagatomi and Teruyuki Noda at the Tōkyō Geijutsu Daigaku – Tōkyō University of the Arts, where he graduated with highest honours in 1991 and from its graduate school in 1993. He also studied conducting with Kazuyoshi Akiyama at Senzoku Gakuen in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. He studied composition with Gérard Grisey and conducting with Jean-Sébastien Béreau at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris from 1993–97, where he graduated with a premier prix.
Among his honours are the Ataka Prize (1989), Third Prize in the Japan Music Competition (1991, for Rapprochement), First Prize in the competition Shin-Kyo (1991, for Morphogenesis), the Idemitsu Music Prize (1992), Third Prize in the competition for young conductors of the Fundação Oriente in Lisbon (1997), and the Akutagawa Prize (2002, for Astration – in memoriam Gérard Grisey).
As a conductor, he made his début in Tōkyō in 1992. He has served as conductor of the ensemble for contemporary music Alpha since 1998 and of Ensemble Vivo since 2001.
He has taught composition and music theory at the Kunitachi Ongaku Daigaku – Kunitachi College of Music in Tōkyō, Nihon Daigaku – Nihon University in Tōkyō, the Tōhō Gakuen Daigaku – Tōhō Gakuen School of Music in Tōkyō, and the Tōkyō Geijutsu Daigaku since 1998.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Morphogenesis, oboe, orchestra, 1991
The String of Life, violin, orchestra, 1993
Soliton, small orchestra, 1995
Megalithic Waves, small orchestra, 1997
Astration – in memoriam Gérard Grisey, 2001
Tableau avec Ré, Fa, La, small orchestra, 2002
Cross-Light, small orchestra, 2003
Gravity Wave, 2004
Convergence, small orchestra (13 players), 2010
Danse de la mante religieuse, 2011
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Rapprochement, flute, oboe, 2 violins, 2 violas, piano, 1991
Quatre Prismes dans l'Espace, 12 trumpets, 3 percussion, 1991
Sous un ciel étoilé, près de l'eau, 2 violins, piano, 2 percussion, 1992
Divergence, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 1994
Trois Dessins, trombone, harp, violin, viola, cello, percussion, 1995
West, or Evening Song in Autumn, soprano saxophone, percussion, 1996
Gallop, flute, piano, 1996 (also version for flute, clarinet, violin, piano, 1999)
Motet de l'aube, hommage à Guillaume de Machaut, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, 3 violins, percussion, 1998
Les Chants préhistoriques I, violin, 1999
Scherzo pour Trio Trichronochrome, French horn, violin, piano, 1999
Rencontre, flute, violin, percussion, 2000
Les Chants préhistoriques II, violin, 2000
Equatorial Song, flute, prepared piano, 2000
Stumbling Drums on Savanna, percussion, 2001
Falling, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2002
Les Chants préhistoriques III, 2 violins, 2003
Pillar of the Sky, 2 cellos, 2003
Deux Esquisses, flute, trumpet, piano, 2005
ROSCO's Notebook, violin, piano, 2006
Inégal, harpsichord, vibraphone, 2006
Music for keyboard instruments, 2 pianos, 6 percussion, 2006
Eurasian Nomadic Song, flute, percussion, 2007
As Richard and Maurice Listen to the Echo with Ludwig, Olivier Looks on, string quartet, 2008
Deux Pièces, French horn, viola, 2008
Layered Song from Long Ago, 2 clarinets, viola, cello, vibraphone, 2008
Lonc tans me sui tenu de chanter, mes..., alto flute, viola, 2008
Perpetuum mobile (in a Zigzag), harpsichord, vibraphone, 2008
Variation sur le motet 'D'ung aultre amer' de J. Ockeghem, clarinet, piano, 2008
Wooden Music, 9 percussion, 2008
Les Vers Intimes, string quartet, 2010
The Bush Warbler in Spring, flute, 2011
Octet, 7 brass, percussion, 2011
Oracle, trombone, 2011
Danse sacrée et danse profane au pays d'Extrême-Orient, saxophone, percussion, 2012
CHORAL:
Choral für 12 Stimmen nach Gedichten von Novalis (text by Novalis), 12 mixed voices, 2006
VOCAL:
Deux Poèmes de Ryōkan (text by Ryōkan), mezzo-soprano, clarinet/saxophone, percussion, 2005
PIANO:
Flux et Reflux, 1994
Flots, 'Dan-no-ura', 1997
Gamelaphony II, 2009
Une Sérénade timide pour bien dormir, 2011
ORGAN:
Parcours entre Vitraux et Absidioles, 1993
Electro-Spiral, 'The Ladder of Life', electronic organ, 1993
Gamelaphony I, 2 electronic organs, 1998