Masamichi Amano

Masamichi Amano (天野 正道, Amano Masamichi, born January 26, 1957 in Akita, Akita) is a Japanese music composer, arranger and conductor. He studied at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo and completed master's degree in 1982. He graduated from Akita Minami High School and went on to study at Kunitachi College of Music, where he began a wide range of activities from classical and contemporary music to jazz, rock, folk music and songs. In 1980, he graduated first in his class in composition and was awarded the Takeoka Prize for excellence.

After graduation, he went to Australia and became the first Japanese to master the Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) and one of the founders of computer music in Japan. Since then, he has created music for many artists' albums, films, animations, videos, and many commercials and TV programs.

His orchestral works include the musical scores of Battle Royale, Giant Robo and Stratos 4. The films and TV series featuring his music are genres action, science fiction, Hentai, and horror. Amano's orchestra of choice is Poland's Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (and its associated choir).

After presenting his own compositions at the Tokyo Music Festival World Convention in 1983 and 1984, and at a special guest performance in 1988, he has served as musical director and conductor for numerous events.

He has composed many pieces for wind ensemble that are recorded by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and regularly performed by bands at the All-Japan Band Association competitions. since 2015, he has been arranging and conducting New Sounds in Brass, succeeding the late Naohiro Iwai.

In 2017, the 60th Anniversary Concert Tour of Masamichi Amano was held throughout Japan (Akita, Tokyo, Kawasaki, Fukuoka, Kawagoe).

He received the 23rd (2000) and 24th (2001) Japan Academy Prize for Excellence in Music. He received the 10th (2000) Academy Award of the Japan Band Association in the Composition and Arrangement Division.

He is a regular member of the Japan Music Rights Association (JASRAC), a member of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM), a member of the 21st Century Windband "Kyoen", a special lecturer at Shobi Music College, and a visiting professor at Tokyo College of Music.