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Born in Tokyo in 1956, Akemi Naito began studying piano at the age of five and composition at the age of fourteen. In 1978, she received B.A. in Music Composition from the University Division at the Toho Gakuen School of Music and graduate degree from the same university in 1980, and was a member of school's faculty from 1980 until 1991. She was awarded the Takei Prize in 1982 and a finalist of the Music Today Composition Award in 1982 and 1988. Following her earlier activity as a composer in Tokyo, a grant from the Asian Cultural Council allowed her to move to New York City in 1991 and continue her career in the United States. Ms. Naito's works have been featured in music festivals around the world such as PASIC in Dallas, Gaudeamus Music Festival, Melbourne Festival, Musica Scienza Roma, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Japan Society Spring Festival, Music from Japan Festival, Foro Internacional de Musica Nueva in Mexico and Music Today International Festival in Tokyo. Her Marimba piece which was written in 2000 for William Moersch has been performed in nine countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, Spain, USA, Belgium, Canada, Japan, Korea and England and sixteen states in the US. The work was published by HoneyRock in January 2001. The first recording devoted to her works, Strings and Time, was released by CRI in 1997. In addition, her compositions can be heard on Aki Takahashi's Hyper Beatles on EMI and Norio Sato's Ko-Tha on the ALM label. Naito is a recipient of awards and grants from organization including the Chamber Music America, the New York Foundation for the Arts, consecutive ASCAP Standard Awards since 1998, Meet the Composer, the first Aaron Copland Award from the Copland House residence, and resident fellowships from Yaddo, MacDowell Colony and Millay Colony for the Arts. Mindscape - Four Poetic Images, which was written for Cygnus Ensemble was featured by Chamber Music America's 25th Anniversary Commissioning Showcase, and it was web-cast by American Music Center's New Music Box in Spring 2003. In Autumn 2003, she had a residency at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Lake Como in Italy. Her accordion piece will be published by German publisher AUGEMUS in 2005. Her new CD album project has been selected for recording by Bridge Records. This album will include five works. Check out the artist's website: http://www.akeminaito.com Track List: 1. Winter Shadow I 2. II 3. Rain, calling Autumn I 4. II 5. III 6. Interlude 7. Solitude 8. Electronic Landscape 9. Strings & Time I 10. II 11. III 12. Secret Song Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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