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
- 33:12
Takemitsu: 12 Songs for Guitar: No. 9, Michelle
Track
- 46:52
Takemitsu: Air
Track
- 53:48
Takemitsu: 12 Songs for Guitar: No. 1, Londonderry Air
Track
- 619:06
November Steps
Track
- 73:19
Takemitsu: All in Twilight: No. 2
Track
- 83:18
Takemitsu: 12 Songs for Guitar: No. 11, Yesterday
Track
- 98:53
Ceremonial - An Autumn Ode
Track
- 1010:47
I Hear the Water Dreaming
Track
- 117:47
Requiem for String Orchestra
Track
- 122:02
Tsubasa
Track
Albums
Relaxing on the Beach
Album · 2026
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
Landscapes. Takemitsu, Hosokowa & Nishimura
Album · 2023
Takemitsu: Asterism, Requiem, Green & Dorian Horizon
Album · 1969
Takemitsu: Requiem; Family Tree; My Way Of Life
Album · 1997
Takemitsu: A Song Of Circles And Triangles - Choral Works
Album · 1994
Takemitsu: Piano Works
Album · 1999
Takemitsu: Toward the Sea III / Debussy: Sonata for Flute, Viola & Harp / Britten: Lachrymae / Honegger: Petite Suite / Denisov: Duo
Album · 1994
Takemitsu: November Steps; Viola Concerto; Eclipse
Album · 1991