THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Masakazu Natsuda

(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 Astrationin 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.

CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail address: natsuda@pk.highway.ne.jp

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

Astrationin 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