In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Zen-On is proud to present a selection of Japanese women composers and their works. As leading voices in the music of our time, these composers continue to explore new dimensions of sound, with their influence spanning across generations and borders. Their diverse range of work encompasses everything from solo and chamber music to dynamic orchestral pieces and choral compositions.
Please click on the photographs below to learn more about each composer and explore their significant works. We will be updating this section with more information, so please stay tuned for future additions.
[Key Works]
■Tomiko Kohjiba: HIROSHIMA REQUIEM for String Orchestra (1979) 11 mins
■Maki Ueda: THE MEANING OF DREAM for mixed chorus and orchestra (2008) 20 mins
■Kae Hirakawa: RUSH TO THE PAST! for Cello Solo (2019) 9 mins
■Masa Matsuura EPHEMERAL DREAM for Euphonium and Piano (2025) 12 mins
■Chihiro Todoroki: CONSONANCE for Piano Duet (2023) 14 mins
■Hitomi Kaneko: LE PROCESSUS, for 15 players (1996) 15 mins
■Mino Kabasawa: GREEN BREEZE for Violin and Piano (2004) 4 mins
■Céleri Haruhata: ASTRO NOTES Letters from Space for Piano Duet (2023) 14 mins
■Alice Nakamura: WIND CHANNEL for Alto Saxophone and Piano (2016) 14 mins
■Chikako Yamanaka: IN THE FLEETING SPRING for Flute and Piano (2016) 5 mins
■Miyuko Oda: A JOURNEY TO REBIRTH Memories of Dewa Mountains (2022) 10 mins
■Natsumi Yamamoto: UTAGE for Orchestra (2024) 6 mins