Silk Road Artists

Michio Mamiya
composer (b. 1929, Japan)

"Arts should be used for peace, for the peace, not for encouraging the battle. It's my hope and the thing I want to feel from my music."

Michio Mamiya was born in Japan. From 1948 to 1952, he studied composition with Professor Tomojiro Ikenouchi at the Tokyo Academy of Music (now the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music). He became interested in the music of his homeland shortly after graduating from the Tokyo Academy and since that time he has studied the traditional music of many Asian, African and Scandinavian countries. His interest in folk music is evident in the inimitable original style of his compositions. He has been the recipient of many prizes including the Mainishi Music Prize for Composition for chorus No. 1 (1958), the Mainichi Art Prize for Violin Concerto No. 1 (1960), the Otaka Prizes twice for Deux Tableaux pour Orchestre ’65 (1965) and for Piano Concerto No. 2 (1970), and the Grand Prix of the Salzburg TV Opera Prize for Narukami (1974). Mamiya’s works range from operas to choral, chamber and orchestral pieces. Some of his major works include the opera The Old Tale – Tarobei, The Slave Dealer, the theatrical piece, Dasuke no Kubi, Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3 and String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2.

The Silk Road Ensemble performs Michio Mamiya’s Five Finnish Folk Songs and Kio.