SAEGUSA, Shigeaki

Born in Tokyo in 1942 and graduated with an M.A. from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts, Saegusa’s principal opera works are as follows: Ryurenpu --Tale of a Five-Headed Dragon in 1978, oratorio Yamato Takeru (Toshiba EMI) in 1989, opera The Story of a Thousand Memories in 1991, and opera Chushingura (Sony Classical International) in 1997. The opera Jr. Butterfly was performed in Tokyo in 2003 and repeated in Kobe in 2005 as a ten-year memorial after the Kobe earthquake. Jr. Butterfly was also performed at the 52nd Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Italy in 2006 where Puccini had lived and composed his feature operas.
In addition to operas, Saegusa composed the Rock Mass Radiation Mass in 1981, The Symphony in 1983, violin concerto The Legend of Snow (Toshiba EMI) in 1992, and Requiem - Libretto by Ayako Sono (Sony Music Japan International) which premiered in Tokyo in 1998 and was later performed with the Cuba National Symphony and Roppongi Male Chorus Club in Havana in 2005. Cantata Tengai --The Prayer of a Free Person (Sony Music Japan International) premiered in 2000. He has also made musical arrangements including: The Beatles Memories (Fun House) in 1992 and Japanese folk songs Nostalgy (Fun House) for twelve cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1994.
In 1991 Saegusa was commissioned to complete the Sinfonia Concertante in A for violin, viola, violoncello and orchestra (Toshiba EMI) by International Foundation Mozarteum in Austria, which was W.　A. Mozart’s unfinished work.
Saegusa has composed the music for feature films including: Doran (Uprising) directed by S. Moritani in 1980, Typhoon Club directed by S. Somai in 1984 and Gundam—Shah, the Revenges directed by Y. Tomino in 1988.  As music for TV programs, he composed theme music for the drama series Taiheiki in 1991 and Hana no Ran in 1994, both of which were broadcasted by NHK.
Saegusa has been awarded prizes such as Best Music Award at the 33rd Asia-Pacific Film Festival in 1988, CESARE ZAVATTINI award at the 42nd Festival Internazionale del Cinema di SALERNO in1989, and Best Music Award of Feature Film Music at the Japan Academy Awards in 1989. 
In 2004, he gave the world premiere of Jr. Butterfly, an opera based on Puccini's masterpiece Madame Butterfly.
In 2006, the opera Jr. Butterfly was re-performed at the Puccini Festival in Italy. This was the first performance of an opera by a foreign composer at the festival, the first performance of a non-Puccini work, and the first grand opera by a Japanese in Italy.
In 2007, he was awarded the Tachibana Akiko Prize and the Medal with Purple Ribbon [conferred by the Japanese emperor].
His first mono-opera Grief and piano concerto Philosophy of Squid premiered in 2008. In the same year, he was awarded the Puccini International Award as the first Japanese prize winner by the Puccini Festival Foundation. 
In 2010 the opera Chushingura Gaiden [side story of Chushingura] and The Last Message for male chorus and orchestra were performed as world premieres in Tokyo. 
He was awarded the Shin Watanabe Prize in 2011. 
His latest opera KAMIKAZE premiered in Tokyo in January 2013. 
In 2014 the opera Jr. Butterfly was re-performed at the 60th Puccini Festival in Italy with an Italian cast and Italian lyrics. 
In January 2016, the opera Jr. Butterfly with Italian lyrics was performed in Japan with an Italian cast. In October 2017 his first opera buffa A Day of Madness in Midsummer with libretto by Mariko Hayashi and directed by Yasushi Akimoto was premiered in Tokyo. 
In 2017 he received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by the Japanese Emperor. 
In 2020, received Person of Cultural Merit Award.
In 2022 piano concerto, commissioned work for Nobuyuki Tsujii and the mixed chorus edition of The Last Message were premiered at his 80th anniversary concert. 
In 2023 The Love letters for male chorus and orchestra was premiered. 
Currently composing Violin Concerto commissioned by Mone Hattori.