Music Director

Born in Osaka. He studied composition and musical theory to post graduate level at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He won; the first prize of composition category at the music competition of Japan in 1994, the first of his numerous later prize winnings at the Queen Elizabeth International Music Composition Competition with HETEROPHONY for string quartet (1975) and the Luigi Dallapiccola Composition Award with MUTAZIONI in 1977, Otaka Prize in 1988, 92, 93, 08 and 11, Kenzo Nakajima Music Award in 1990, Kyoto Music Award in 1991, Contemporary Art Foundation Award in 1994, ExxonMobil Music Prize in 2001, Sadao Bekku Music Award in 2002, the Suntory Music Award in 2004, the 47th Mainichi Art Award in 2005, Medal with Purple Ribbon (Medal of Honor) from Cabinet office, Government of Japan in 2013. In 2002, ‘ARDITTI STRING QUARTET plays AKIRA NISHIMURA’ received Grand Prize and ‘Metamorphosis-Chamber Symphony Works of Akira NISHIMURA’ received Excellence Award of The National Arts Festival in 2005. He is appointed as Musical Director of the Izumi Sinfonietta Osaka from 2000. He is a Commenter for NHK – FM radio series about modern music and hosted NHK TV series featured NHK Symphony Orchestra for three years from 2009. He is Musical Director of Kusatsu International Summer Music Academy and Festival from 2010. He is currently a Professor at the Tokyo College of Music.