Ishii, Maki 1936 - 2003
Author: Sudoh, Eiko
Last updated：April 1, 2006
Author: Sudoh, Eiko
Born in Tokyo as the third son of dancer Baku Ishii. From a young age, he studied composition under Akira Ifukube and others who were responsible for his father's dance music. At the age of 22, he studied abroad at the Berlin University of Music, learning composition from Boris Blacher, Josef Rufer, and others. After returning to Japan at 26, he developed compositional activities using avant-garde techniques such as twelve-tone technique. However, an encounter with shōmyō (Buddhist chant) at a temple became a turning point, leading him to begin creating works that combined Japanese and Asian traditional music with Western avant-garde methods. He established a unique compositional style characterized by a vivid contrast between "stillness" and "movement." After returning to Germany at the age of 33 at the invitation of the City of Berlin, he actively worked as a composer, conductor, and organizer of international exchange activities, based in the two cities of Berlin and Tokyo. Sadly, he passed away suddenly at the age of 66 due to thyroid cancer. He received numerous awards, including the Otaka Prize, Kenzo Nakajima Music Award Grand Prize, German Critics' Prize, Kyoto Music Award Grand Prize, Japan Traditional Culture Promotion Award, and the Medal with Purple Ribbon.
Works(8)
Piano Solo (3)
Various works (4)