Karen Tanaka (1961- )
Karen
Tanaka is acclaimed as one of the leading living composers from
Japan. She has been invited as a composer in residence at many
important festivals, and her music has been widely performed throughout
the world by major orchestras, ensembles, international festivals
and on radio. She has composed extensively for both instrumental and
electronics media. "Her music is delicate and emotive, beautifully
crafted, showing a refined ear for both detail and large organic
shapes…", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians. Tanaka’s musical education began with piano lessons
when she was four years old and formal composition lessons from the age
of ten. After studying French literature at Aoyama Gakuin University,
she studied composition with Akira Miyoshi at Toho Gakuen School of
Music. During four years of study there, she won several major awards
in Japan and Europe for her composition, including prizes at the Viotti
and Trieste competitions and the Japan Symphony Foundation Award. In
1986, with the aid of a French Government Scholarship she moved to
Paris to study composition with Tristan Murail and work at IRCAM as an
intern. In 1987 she was awarded the Gaudeamus Prize at the
International Music Week in Amsterdam for her piano concerto
Anamorphose. She studied with Luciano Berio in Florence in 1990-91 with
funds from the Nadia Boulanger Foundation and a Japanese Government
Scholarship, at the end of which time she wrote Hommage en cristal,
a commission from the Ultima Festival in Oslo for the Norwegian Chamber
Orchestra. A series of important commissions from Japan, including the
orchestral piece Initium (1993), Wave Mechanics (1994) and Echo Canyon (1995),
confirmed her as one of the leading living composers from that country.
During the same period, there were increasing performances and
broadcasts around the world including the UK, USA, France, Scandinavia
and five ISCM festivals. She is co-artistic director of the Yatsugatake
Kogen Music Festival, previously directed by Toru Takemitsu. Her recent
works, such as The Song of Songs, Night Bird and Metal Strings,
develop new directions in her musical language using the latest
technology and reflecting different aspects of contemporary culture. In
recent years, Tanaka's love of nature and concern for the
environment has influenced many of her works, including Frozen Horizon, Water and Stone and the tape piece Questions of Nature.COMPOSITIONS Tanaka Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Tristesse, flute, violon et piano (1983)
Prismes, orchestra (1984)
Anamorphose, piano and orchestra (1986)
Crystalline, piano (1988)
Lilas, cello (1988)
Jardin des herbes (3 pieces), harpsichord (1989; rev. 1995)
Hommage en cristal, piano and string orchestra (1991)
Initium, orchestra and electronics (1992–93)
Polarization, 2 percussionists (1994)
Wave Mechanics, small orchestra [20 players] (1994)
Wave Mechanics II, violin and electronics (1994)
Echo Canyon, large ensemble [14 players] (1995)
Metallic Crystal, metallic percussion and electronics (first version 1993; revised version 1995)
The Zoo in the Sky (20 pcs), piano (1994–95) [for young performers]
Crystalline II, piano (1995–96)
Invisible Curve, flute, violin, viola, cello and piano (1996)
Metal Strings, string quartet (1996)
Night Bird, alto saxophone and electronics (1996)
The Song of Songs, cello and electronics (1996)
Inuit Voices, electroacoustic (1997)
Frozen Horizon, fl, 2 vlns, va, vc, db and perc (1 player) [all amplified & electronically manipulated w/a mixing board] (1998)
Questions of Nature, electroacoustic (1998)
Always in My Heart (3 pieces), clarinet and piano (1999)
At the Grave of Beethoven, string quartet (1999)
Children of Light (20 pieces), piano (1998–99) [for young performers]
Water and Stone, cl, vln, va, vc, db, harp and 2 perc (1999)
Crystalline III, piano (2000)
Departure, orchestra (1999–2000)
Guardian Angel, clarinet, harp, percussion and string orchestra (2000)
Lavender Field, piano (2000) [for young performers]
Techno Etudes (3 pieces), piano (2000)
Opening Bell for Daiichi Seimei Hall, sound design (2000)
Dreamscape, solo violin, solo harp and string quintet [2 vln, va, vc, db] (or string orchestra) (2001)
Holland Park Avenue Study, 2 vln, 2 va and vc (or fl/or ob/or cl, cl/or va, cl, vc and db) (2002)
Lost Sanctuary, orchestra (2002)
Northern Light, piano (2002) [for young performers]
Rose Absolute, orchestra (2002)
Tales of Trees, marimba (2003)
Ocean (4 pieces), violin and piano (2003)
Urban Prayer, cello and orchestra (2003–04)
Herb Garden, piano 4-hands (2005) [for young performers]
Silent Ocean, trumpet and piano (2005)
The Dancing Llama, short film score (2006)
Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball, documentary film score (2006)
10 Questions for the Dalai Lama, additional music for documentary film score (2006) [music by Peter Kater]
Of Time and the Spirit, dance video score (2007) [for dancer Nancy Colahan]
Water Dance, piano (2008)
God is Love as Love is God, chorus (2009)
God Loves Us All, chorus (2009)
My Soul Magnifies the Lord, chorus (2009)
Rise Up Hallelu, chorus (2009)
Shibuya Tokyo, 2 violins (2009)
The Ashes of the Lord, chorus (2009)
Wait for the Lord, chorus (2009)
You're My Ghoul, [animated film score] (2010)
Viva Suntory! for Suntory Hall, sound design (2010)
Techno Etudes II, piano (in progress)
Our Planet (15 pieces), piano (2011) [for young performers]
Celestial Harmonics, electroacoustic (1997) - ??not by Tanaka??
WORKS BY GENRE Tanaka Links ~ top of page ~
Dance
Of Time and the Spirit, dance video score (2007) [for dancer Nancy Colahan]
Renature, dance piece (2008) [music: "Questions of Nature", 1998; choreography: Wayne McGregor]
Orchestra
Prismes, orchestra (1984)
Initium, orchestra and electronics (1992–93)
Wave Mechanics, small orchestra [20 players] (1994)
Echo Canyon, large ensemble [14 players] (1995)
Departure, orchestra (1999–2000)
Guardian Angel, clarinet, harp, percussion and string orchestra (2000)
Lost Sanctuary, orchestra (2002)
Rose Absolute, orchestra (2002)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Anamorphose, piano and orchestra (1986)
Hommage en cristal, piano and string orchestra (1991)
Urban Prayer, cello and orchestra (2003–04)
Choral
God is Love as Love is God, chorus (2009)
God Loves Us All, chorus (2009)
My Soul Magnifies the Lord, chorus (2009)
Rise Up Hallelu, chorus (2009)
The Ashes of the Lord, chorus (2009)
Wait for the Lord, chorus (2009)
Chamber
Tristesse, flute, violon et piano (1983)
Polarization, 2 percussionists (1994)
Invisible Curve, flute, violin, viola, cello and piano (1996)
Metal Strings, string quartet (1996)
Frozen Horizon, fl, 2 vlns, va, vc, db and perc (1 player) [all amplified & electronically manipulated w/a mixing board] (1998)
At the Grave of Beethoven, string quartet (1999)
Water and Stone, cl, vln, va, vc, db, harp and 2 perc (1999)
Dreamscape, solo violin, solo harp and string quintet [2 vln, va, vc, db] (or string orchestra) (2001)
Holland Park Avenue Study, 2 vln, 2 va and vc (or fl/or ob/or cl, cl/or va, cl, vc and db) (2002)
Shibuya Tokyo, 2 violins (2009)
Instrument and Piano
Always in My Heart (3 pieces), clarinet and piano (1999)
- Letter to you
- Tears in the rain
- Always in my heart
Ocean (4 pieces), violin and piano (2003)
- East Beach
- Hendrey's Beach
- Sunset
- Butterfly Beach
Silent Ocean, trumpet and piano (2005)
Solo Instrument
Lilas, cello (1988)
Wave Mechanics II, violin and electronics (1994)
Metallic Crystal, metallic percussion and electronics (first version 1993; revised version 1995)
Night Bird, alto saxophone and electronics (1996)
The Song of Songs, cello and electronics (1996)
Tales of Trees, marimba (2003)
Piano or Harpsichord
Crystalline, piano (1988)
Jardin des herbes (3 pieces), harpsichord (1989; rev. 1995)
- Rosemary
- Sweet Violet
- Lavender, harpsichord (1989) [from "Jardin des herbes"]
The Zoo in the Sky (20 pcs), piano (1994–95) ["The characters appearing in this collection ...are all taken from the constellations"]
- Star Song 1 [for young performers]
- Ram
- Rabbit
- Goat
- Little Horse
- Star Song 2
- Little Fox
- Bull
- Crab
- Giraffe
- Star Song 3
- Great Bear, Little Bear
- Fish
- Dragon
- Little Dog
- Star Song 4
- Unicorn
- Pegasus
- Swan
- Lion
Crystalline II, piano (1995–96)
Children of Light (20 pieces), piano (1998–99) [for young performers]
- Blue Planet, Set 1 [dealing with the underwater world]
- Child of Light - Blue Planet
- Dugong
- Blue Whale
- Coral Reef
- Green Paradise, Set 2 [dealing with endangered animals in Africa]
- [Green Paradise ???]
- Mountain Gorilla
- African Elephant
- Prisms in the Forest, Set 3 [dealing with Asian species]
- Giant Panda
- others
- Air, Set 4 [dealing with birds]
- Crested Ibis
- Crowned Eagle
- Red-faced Parrot
- Northern Lights, Set 5 [dealing with endangered species in North America and various other areas]
- Northern Lights, piano (1996)???
- others
Crystalline III, piano (2000)
Lavender Field, piano (2000) [for young performers] [not 1994?]
Techno Etudes (3 pieces), piano (2000)
Northern Light, piano (2002) [for young performers]
Herb Garden, piano 4-hands (2005) [for young performers]
Water Dance, piano (2008)
Techno Etudes II, piano (in progress)
Our Planet (15 pieces), piano (2011) [for young performers]
- Ocean
- Green
- Solar Energy
- Interlude: Lonesome George's Murmuring
- Magma
- Ozone
- Wind Energy
- Interlude: Lonesome George's Song
- Our Land
- Water of Life
- Bio Energy
- Interlude: Lonesome George's Dream
- Light
- Paradise of Life
- Our Planet Earth
Film
The Dancing Llama, short film score (2006)
Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball, documentary film score (2006)
10 Questions for the Dalai Lama, additional music for documentary film score (2006) [music by Peter Kater]
Of Time and the Spirit, dance video score (2007) [for dancer Nancy Colahan]
You're My Ghoul, [animated film score] (2010)
Electronic
Initium, orchestra and electronics (1992–93)
Wave Mechanics II, violin and electronics (1994)
Metallic Crystal, metallic percussion and electronics (first version 1993; revised version 1995)
Night Bird, alto saxophone and electronics (1996)
The Song of Songs, cello and electronics (1996)
Inuit Voices, electroacoustic (1997)
Celestial Harmonics, electroacoustic (1997) - ??not by Tanaka??
Questions of Nature, electroacoustic (1998)
- Forest
- Air
- Ocean
- Light
- Earth
Sound Design
Opening Bell for Daiichi Seimei Hall, sound design (2000)
Viva Suntory! for Suntory Hall, sound design (2010)
TANAKA LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Selected Intermediate Piano Pieces by 7 Women of the 20th Century (Rebecca Billock)
Composer website (@ Chester Novello) . . . contact Karen Tanaka: here
Tanaka @ Wikipedia
Tanaka @ Art of the States
Tanaka @ California Institute of the Arts
Tanaka @ Cdmc
Tanaka @ Chester Novello
Tanaka @ Classical Archives
Tanaka @ Classical Composers Database
Tanaka @ composition:today
Tanaka @ Facebook
Tanaka @ Hollywood Bowl
Tanaka @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Tanaka @ InstantEncore
Tanaka @ Jamesarts
Tanaka @ Mode Records
Tanaka @ Music & Vision
Tanaka @ Music From Japan
Tanaka @ MusicWeb International
Tanaka @ New World Records
Tanaka @ The New York Times
Tanaka @ St. Michael's University Church
Tanaka @ Tokyo Concerts
Publisher
Tanaka @ Chester Novello
Tanaka @ Edition Kawai
Tanaka @ G. Schirmer
Streaming Audio
Tanaka @ Composer website (@ Chester Novello) - check under individual work listings
Tanaka @ Art of the States
Tanaka @ Cdmc
Tanaka @ Classical Archives
Tanaka @ last.fm
Tanaka @ MySpaceMusic/Joan Jeanrenaud
Tanaka @ MySpaceMusic/Sophie Unsen
Tanaka @ Rhapsody.com
Recordings
Tanaka @ Amazon.com
Tanaka @ ArkivMusic
Tanaka @ CD Universe
Tanaka @ ClassicsOnline
Tanaka @ Discogs
Tanaka @ Mode Records
Tanaka @ Naxos
Tanaka @ New World Records
Video
Tanaka @ YouTube
Tanaka @ Google Video
Tanaka @ Vimeo
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