My name is Tetsuya Hori. I like to write music for instruments, vocals, electronics and objects as the instrumentation of solo, ensemble, chamber and orchestral music. But for which instrumentation I want to compose is always fluid.

I was born in Sapporo/Hokkaido in Japan, started playing the organ at the age of four and took up composing soon afterwards. I commenced studying composition in Sapporo at the age of 16 and later moved to Tokyo to study composition at the Showa University of Music. I graduated at the age of 22, winning a special prize from the university. From 2000 to 2003 I was a lecturer for piano, vocal, chorus, and orchestra. After studying at Showa University of Music, I moved to Berlin in 2003 where I lives and composes. In 2003 I also began composing for live-electro using the software Max.

I compose commissioned works for various performing musicians, chamber and symphony orchestra. In addition to that, I teach composition at various schools and universities in Europe, Asia and North America.

I have been the recipient of special prize from Showa University of
Music, special mention from International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition 2011, the Best CD Album of 2011 by foxy digitalis and Semi- Finalist of the 2012 Queen Elisabeth Composition Competition in Belgium.

Education

2002   Graduate from Showa University of Music in Kanagawa, Japan (Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition)
1998 – Study at Composition Class at Showa University of Music in Kanagawa, Japan

Awards

2022 Selected as one of the winning compositions of “Orchestral Masters Vol.10” by ABLAZE Records
2020 Special Scholarship Program of Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe
2012   Semi-Finalist Queen Elisabeth Composition Competition in Belgium
2011   Best Album of 2011 from Foxy Digitalis (The title of the CD: Dried Fish Is Just Good As Bait [Aphonia Recordings AR041])
2011   Special mention from International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition
2002   Special prize from Showa University of Music

Releases

2021   triadic for Cello and Piano Four Hands (MMR0005) M.M.Recordings – This release was supported by the School of Arts Ghent.
2020   Ceremonial for Violoncello and Sound FX (MMR0003) M.M.Recordings
2019   Recomposed: All Things Considered (MMR0002) M.M.Recordings
2019   Rhapsody Into The Arctic (MMR0001) M.M.Recordings
2011   Dried Fish Is Just Good As Bait (AR041) Aphonia Recordings
2009   Non-Transposed-Sense (KCD5228) Konnex Records
2008   Tetsuya Hori (NASU012) Naiv Super

Festivals and Residencies

Compositions & Performances (Excerpt)

2019
Compositions:
– “Ceremonial” for Violoncello and Sound FX (commissioned by Instituto Sonorense de Cultura)
– “Rhapsody Into The Arctic” for improvised alto saxophone and string orchestra

Performances:
– Gilfélagið/Deiglan in Akureyri/Iceland (performed “Suite for Beer Bottle and Laptop(2007)” etc.)
– Kankiin-Tempel in Saitama/Japan (world premiere of “The Rot” by Akiko Kubota and Tetsuya Hori)

Artist in Residence:
– Foundation OBRAS in Evoramonte/Portugal
– Listhús in Ólafsfjörður/Iceland

2018
Compositions:
– “Winter Field” for solo Violin (commissioned by Carmine Marcello Rizzi)
– “Recomposed: All Things Considered“ for Washbasin, Beer Bottle, Glass of Water, Piano and Laptop
– “Source of Sounds and Tap Delay Engine” for solo Horn and Orchestra

Performances:
– Hongakuji Tempel in Tokyo/Japan (world premiere of “Winter Field” by Carmine Marcello Rizzi)
– Stadttheater Kempten/Germany (world premiere of “Recomposed: All Things Considered” and performed “Dried Fish Is Just Good As Bait(2011)”)
– Itoshima International Art Festival in Fukuoka/Japan (performed “The (love) Song Book” by Izumi Ose)
– Concert at Cochlea Lab in Kaohsiung/Taiwan (performed “The (love) Song Book” by Izumi Ose)
– Concert at Jiang Shan Yi Gai Suo in Hsinchu/Taiwan (performed “The (love) Song Book” by Izumi Ose)
– Concert at Artalley in Taipei/Taiwan (performed “The (love) Song Book” by Izumi Ose)

2017
Compositions:
– Cantata: “Sung from the generation of Air” for Soprano Singer, Historic Trumpets and Organ (commissioned by Giuseppe Frau)
– Dance piece: “All Things Considered“ for Washbasin, Beer Bottle, Glass of Water, Piano and Laptop (Improvisations-Score for dance by Ralf Jaroschinski, promoted by Kemptner Tanzherbst)

Performances:
– Stadttheater Kempten/Germany (world premiere of “All Things Considered”)
– Bicacafe in Gifu/Japan (performed “The (love) Song Book” by Izumi Ose)

Artist in Residence:
– KaRi-dance.COMPANY Kempten/Germany (for composing a new production of dance piece)

2016
Compositions:
– “Drafty Poetry” for Flute, Viola and Harp (commissioned by Trio Momentum)
– „Afterimages“ for Baroque Viola and Cello (commissioned by Marie Takahashi)
– Film music for the animated movie titled “The Ogre & the Mermaid” with Water, Toy piano, Rubber bands, Piano, etc. (directed by Christopher Magee)

Artist in Residence:
– CAMAC | Centre d’art Marnay Art Centre in Marnay-sur-Seine/France

2015
Compositions:
– “Metamorphology of the Wind” for Woodwind Quintet “Concerto for Flute and String Orchestra”
– “The (love) Song Book” for Solo Voice

2014
Compositions:
– „MURMUR“ for Violin, Cello and Piano,
– “Scene from a Daydream” for the Left-Hand-Piano

2013
Compositions:
– Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra
– „Distant Sounds and an Act of Viewing Sounds from a Distance“ for Piano

2012
Compositions:
– “succession after the succession” for Beer bottles, Melodion and Laptop (cooperation with animator and performing artist Yurie Ido)
– Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (selected for the Semi-Final of the 2012 Queen Elisabeth Composition competition in Belgium.

Performances:
– HAU Theater Berlin (“succession after the succession” with animator and performing artist Yurie Ido)
– Akademie der Künste Berlin („time/zones“ with an installation artist Lose combo as a project of the 100th anniversary of John Cage’s birth)

 

2011
Compositions:
– “a story about a book” for Book and Laptop (cooperation with animator and performing artist Yurie Ido)
– “Intermezzo” for Voice, Cigar-box, Piano and Laptop
– “Dried Fish Is Just Good As Bait” for Voice, Acting, Cigar Box, Rubber Bands, Piano and Laptop

Performances:
– HAU Theater Berlin (“a story about a book” with animator and performing artist Yurie Ido)
– zeitraumexit in Mannheim/Germany (“a story about a book” with animator and performing artist Yurie Ido)
– Konzerthaus Vienna (pieces from “Dried Fish Is Just Good As Bait”)

Release:
– CD “Dried Fish Is Just Good As Bait” (AR041), released on Aphonia Recordings from Seattle/USA. It was the label’s best selling record in 2001 and was awarded best album of 2011 from Foxy Digitalis music critic website afterwards.

2010
Compositions:
– Music for the official trailer for transmediale festval for media art and digital culture Berlin
– Music for Melodion, Piano and Laptop for the silent film “Masuyo Ikutani” (sequel of the 2008 silent film “Sachiko Ikutani” by Yukihiro Ikutani)

Performances:
– Former Hungarian embassy in Berlin (cooperation with British composer/performing artist Stephen Shiell)
– National Gallery of Art in Warsaw (Warsaw Electronic Festival) Concert tour in Poland

2009
Compositions:
– “Etude” for 1 litre Beer Bottle and Laptop
– “Time of…” for Woodwind Quintet (awarded with a special award from International Music Prize for Excellence in 2011)

Performances:
– SIMULTAN festival for electronic arts in Timisoara/Rumania Nippon Connection Japanese film festival (screening of “Sachiko Ikutani” accompanied by live music performance)
– Incubate festival Tilburg/Netherlands

 

Release:
– CD “Non-Transposed Sense” (KCD5228), released on Konnex Records from Berlin/Germany, produced with jazz saxophonist Soon Kim, contains the improvisations they created together in 2008

2008
Compositions:
– For Alto-Saxophone, Beer bottle and Laptop (improvisation featuring jazz saxophonist Soon Kim)
– For Alto-Saxophone, Cigar Box and Laptop (improvisation featuring jazz saxophonist Soon Kim)
– For Alto-Saxophone, Toy Piano and Laptop (improvisation featuring jazz saxophonist Soon Kim)
– For Alto-Saxophone, Melodion and Laptop (improvisation featuring jazz saxophonist Soon Kim)
– Glas of water, Cigar Box and Laptop (cooperation with video artist Yukihiro Ikutani on his silent film “Sachiko Ikutani”)

Performances:
– University of Art and Design in Halle/Germany
– Screenings of the silent film “Sachiko Ikutani” at various movie theaters in Berlin accompanied by live music performance

Release:
– CD “Tetsuya Hori” (Naivsuper, NASU012) released on Naivsuper from Berlin/Germany,

2007
Compositions:
– “Water Concerto” for Glass of Water and Laptop with Laptop-Orchester Berlin
Suite for Beer Bottle and Laptop
– “Limbo” for Voice, Cigar Box, Piano and Laptop” for a short film directed by Violeta Leiva Martinez for an exhibition for the 100 year anniversary of the Volkspark in Halle/Germany

Performances:
– Music festival of the music academy in Rheinsberg/Germany with the Laptop-Orchester Berlin
Japan Now festival Berlin

2006
Compositions:
– For Rubber Glove and Laptop For Flute and Laptop #2
– For Beer Bottle and Laptop

 

Performances:
– SIMULTAN festival for electronic arts and music Timisoara/Rumania with DZGÜÜÜN artist group
– Romanian National Opera Bucharest with DZGÜÜÜN artist group University of Art and Design in Halle/Germany
– Theater Basel (Switzerland)

2005
– For Dough and Laptop
– “Kappa” for Voice, Cigar box and Laptop (voice: Izumi Ose)
– “a game” for Solo Violin, performed at Gallery 1412 in Seattle/USA by invitation.

2003–2004 | moved to Berlin
– Music for Melodion and Resonance
– For Melodion and Laptop
– For Glass of Water and Laptop
– For Flute and Laptop #1, performed on the events of the artist group’s DZGÜÜÜN which he was par

2002–2003 | Sapporo
– Allegro barbaro for Piano a day dream for Piano

2000–2001 | Tokyo
– Suite for Solo Clarinet
– String Quartet
– “Kan-No” for Alto-Saxophone, Cello and Marimba
– Octet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Piano and 3 Percussionists Succession for Alto Singer and Horn