Artist
Toru Takemitsu
Personb. 1930 · Tokyo, Japan, Japan
Contribution
Spot something missing or wrong? Propose an update for admin review. Accepted edits earn points and can promote you to contributor.
Bio
Tōru Takemitsu (1930–1996) was a Japanese composer whose work bridged Western modernism and traditional Japanese aesthetics. Largely self-taught, he gained international recognition in the 1960s with pieces such as “Requiem for Strings” and the orchestral “November Steps,” which juxtaposed the shakuhachi and biwa against a Western symphony orchestra. His catalogue spans solo, chamber, orchestral, and film scores, including music for Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran.” Takemitsu’s refined sense of timbre and silence earned him commissions from major ensembles worldwide and lasting influence on subsequent generations of composers.
Popular tracks
- 15:25
Rain Tree Sketch II
Track
- 29:04
The Dorian Horizon for 17 Strings
Track
- 33:48
Takemitsu: 12 Songs for Guitar: No. 1, Londonderry Air
Track
- 46:52
Takemitsu: Air
Track
- 53:19
Takemitsu: All in Twilight: No. 2
Track
- 619:06
November Steps
Track
- 78:53
Ceremonial - An Autumn Ode
Track
- 83:18
Takemitsu: 12 Songs for Guitar: No. 11, Yesterday
Track
- 97:47
Requiem for String Orchestra
Track
- 102:02
Tsubasa
Track
- 118:34
Takemitsu: Rain Coming
Track
- 123:12
Takemitsu: 12 Songs for Guitar: No. 9, Michelle
Track
Albums
Whispers of Classics
Album · 2025
Heartstrings
Album · 2025
Tre Voci: Takemitsu / Debussy / Gubaidulina
Album · 2014
Takemitsu: I Hear The Water Dreaming; Toward The Sea I/II/III
Album · 2000
Takemitsu: Asterism, Requiem, Green & Dorian Horizon
Album · 1969
Takemitsu: A Song Of Circles And Triangles - Choral Works
Album · 1994
Takemitsu: Requiem; Family Tree; My Way Of Life
Album · 1997
Takemitsu: November Steps; Viola Concerto; Eclipse
Album · 1991
Takemitsu: Piano Music
Album · 1996
Takemitsu: String Around Autumn (A) / I Hear the Water Dreaming / A Way A Lone Ii
Album · 2002
Landscapes. Takemitsu, Hosokowa & Nishimura
Album · 2023
武満徹:カトレーン 他
Album · 1980