Akira Senju Concert Calendar

Akira Senju is widely regarded as one of the most prominent Japanese composers living today.

Senju was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1960. After having studied in the Faculty of Technology at Keio University, he decided to study composition formally and entered the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (currently known as the Tokyo University of the Arts), where he studied with Hiroaki Minami and Toshiro Mayuzumi. He completed his master’s degree in composition with highest honors. The work for his completion ‘EDEN for computer’ received recognition and was purchased by the university and became part of the permanent collection of the University Art Museum..

Senju started his career as a composer, arranger, and music producer while in school, and since then has been remarkably active and prolific across genres. Probably best known for his orchestral works, he has written wide range of music from concert pieces to soundtracks to operas to pop music. Among them are ‘Four Seasons’ for violin and string orchestra (2004), commissioned by Tokyo International Airport; Japan Symphonic Poem (2005), commissioned by NHK; Opera ‘Sumidagawa’ (2007), commissioned by Tokyo Bunka Kaikan; Opera ‘Man’y?sh?’ (2009, 2011), commissioned by Tokyo Bunka Kaikan; soundtracks for films ‘226,’ ‘The Mystery of Rampo,’ ‘Aiwo Kouhito,’ ‘Yomigaeri,’ ‘Nada Soso’; TV dramas ‘Ienakiko,’ ‘Honmamon,’ ‘Suna No Utsuwa,’ ‘Furinkazan (NHK Taiga Drama),’ ‘GOLD,’ ‘Japanese Americans,’ ‘Ashio kara Kita Onna,’ ‘Leaders’ “Ryusei Wagon”; TV documentary ‘The Mystery of Stradivarius (NHK Special)’; TV animation series ‘Mobile Suit Victory Gundam,’ ‘The Snow Queen,’ ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood,’ ‘Valvrave the Liberator’; animated films ‘Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike,’ ‘Magic Tree House’; among many others. His latest opera ‘Taki no Shiraito’ was premiered in a fully staged and costumed production early this year and received public and critical acclaim..

Senju’s orchestral works have been recorded by many distinguished orchestras worldwide, including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic, Cracow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow International Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, and conducted by such prestigious conductors as Vaclav Neumann, Charles Dutoit, Seiji Ozawa, to name a few. He has also collaborated with various internationally renowned artists across the boundaries, including Nuno Guerreiro, Origa, Kurt Elling, Jane Birkin, Sissel and Zamfir..

Senju has released dozens of solo and soundtrack albums on virtually all the major labels in Japan, including Universal Music, EMI, Sony Music, and so on. His music has attracted numerous awards and prizes, including three Japan Academy Prizes for Music (in 1997, 1999 and 2004)..

Senju is also an active lecturer and educator. He has served as an instructor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (1991-93) and a visiting lecturer at Keio University (1994-95, 2006), and has been serving as a visiting professor at the Tokyo College of Music (since 2007). He has appeared on many culture programs on TV and other media, including host appearences on a popular weekly educational TV program, ‘Nichiyo Bijutsukan (Sunday Art Museum)’ on NHK (2011-13）

Mariko Senju began studying violin under Saburo Washimi at the age of three and under Toshiya Eto at the age of twelve. In 1973 she won first place in the elementary school division of the All Japan Students Musical Competition. In 1975 she performed a Bach Concerto with the NHK Symphony Orchestra for its first Young People’s Concert. This marked her debut as a professional violinist.
In 1977 she won first place in the violin division of the 46th Music Competition of Japan. In 1979 she placed fourth at the 26th Paganini International Violin Concours, and in 1981 she received special commendation in the 26th Foreign Placement Concours (Japan).
A 1985, she graduated from Keio University’s Department of Literature With a B. A. in Philosophy, and in the following year she passed an audition held by the conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli. In 1987 she made her London debut playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in a subscription concert of the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Sinopoli. In 1988 she received high acclaim for her performances with the Santa Cecilia Music Consevatory’s orchestra, conducted by Sinopoli. 　

Her CDs include ‘Mozart: Violin Concertos,’ ‘Vivaldi: The Four Seasons,’ ‘Lalo/Saint-Saens: Violin Concertos’ and ‘Dvorak/Bruch: Violin Concertos’ (with the Prague Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Zdenek Kosler). Her eighth CD, ‘Ysaye: Six Sonatas for Violin Solo (op.27),’ received the 1993 award for distinguished artistic works from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs.
In 1990, Senju started regularly producing her own concert series, in which she has performed violin concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, and Sibelius. In 1991 she held a concert series marking the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death in which she performed all of Mozart’s violin concertos. In 1993 she enjoyed great success in an ambitious series of performances of all of Ysaye’s Sonatas for Violin Solo.
In 1994 she won the Muramatsu Award. In 1995, which marked the 20th anniversary of her musical career, she gave a series of recitals in London. In January, 1996, she appeared in Prague as a soloist at a subscription concert of the Prague Symphony Orchestra. In April, 1997, her CD, ‘Paganini: 24 Caprices’ was released nationwide in the U.S.
She performed Ysaye’s Six Sonatas for Violin Solo, Op. 27 in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in February, 1999 with great success.
In 2000, which marked the 25th anniversary of her debut, she released two CDs entitled, respectively, ‘Arias’ and ‘Works for Violin Solo by 3 Composers.’ Another CD scheduled for release this fall will contain Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Op. 61 and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Op. 64, with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Paul Freeman.
Mariko Senju has long been involved with music in Prague. In 1991 she recorded violin concertos by Dvorak and Bruch with the Prague Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Zdenek Kosler, and in 2001, violin concertos by Sibelius and Tchaikovsky with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Valek.
She appeared as a soloist during a concert tour of Japan by the Suk Chamber Orchestra in the fall of 2001 – as she had done several times previously. She performed with the Prague Philharmonia, conducted by Jiri Belohlavek in January, 2002. She is also scheduled to appear as a soloist on tour in Japan with the Prague Symphony Orchestra in 2003.