Biography

Born in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture in 1974. In 1995, he was awarded 2nd prize (no 1st prize awarded) in the composition division of the 6th Suita Music Competition. From 1996, he commenced fieldwork exploring local festivals and their music in various regions. In 1997, he graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts with a specialization in composition, receiving the Faculty of Music Award and the Kyoto Music Association Award. In 1999, he studied abroad at the University of the Arts Bremen under a university dispatch program. In 2000, he completed his Master's degree in composition at the Kyoto City University of Arts Graduate School, receiving the Graduate School Award. In 2002, he was a recipient of the Risaburo Ogura Music Scholarship. In 2005, his orchestral work "Kagirohi no Shima" was selected as the top entry for the 27th Japan Symphony Foundation Composition Award and received the Nippon Foundation Special Encouragement Award. In 2007, he held an exhibition of his works for strings and piano titled "The World of Composer Ichiro Hirano - A Journey Through the Original Soundscapes of Myths, Legends, and Festivals..." in Nishinomiya and Kyoto, and was awarded the 17th Aoyama Music Award. In 2007, he received the Kyoto City New Artist Award. In the same year, he initiated the "CROSSING Tsuji PROJECT," a series featuring both classical and new compositions. In 2008, his piano work "Hakuzō no Yume" was adopted as a required piece for the Grand Prize (Tokkyu) category of the PTNA Piano Competition. His cello work "Yume Matsuri" was selected for the International Contemporary Music Festival "ISCM World Music Days 2008 Vilnius, Lithuania" and performed there. He has studied under Ryohei Hirose, Noriko Nakamura, Katsuhito Uchida, Michio Kitazume, Moriichi Maeda, Masatoshi Fujishima, Sonoko Fujii, Y-P. Parn, F. Donatoni, and G. Ami. He is a member of the Japan Federation of Composers.

http://www.geocities.jp/hirano_ichiro/