Koji Nakano

As a composer, a scholar and an educator, my musical activities have included community service and outreach to help bridge Eastern and Western musical cultures.  My music strives to merge both musical traditions and also makes references to theatre, philosophy, rituals and spirituality.

Over a decade ago, I created the term “living composition.” For me, the word “living” means transforming over time as if nature changes every hour, day, month and throughout seasons. The purpose of creating such a “living” composition is to capture an ever-changing beauty in nature, which amuses, inspires and surprises us everyday.  

As an Asian composer, I have written a variety of living compositions and the majority of them were co-created through collaborations with the performers. The concept of living composition reflects the relationship between beauty, form, and imperfection through the formality of performing arts in Asia and beyond.