Akira Miyoshi (三善 晃; January 10, 1933 – 4 October 2013) was a Japanese composer.
Miyoshi was born in Suginami, Tokyo. He was a child prodigy on the piano, studying with Kozaburo Hirai and Tomojiro Ikenouchi. He studied French literature at the University of Tokyo, and then at the Paris Conservatory with Henri Challan and Raymond Gallois-Montbrun from 1955 to 1957. He was very influenced by Henri Dutilleux. He returned to Japan in 1957 and continued studying French, graduating in 1960. In 1965, he became a professor at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. Miyoshi received the 31st Suntory Music Award (1999). He won four Otaka prizes for his compositions.
1960 Trois mouvements symphoniques – (Kôkyô sanshô)
1962 Concerto for piano and orchestra
1964 Duel for soprano and orchestra
1964 Concerto for Orchestra
1965 Concerto for violin and orchestra
1969 Concerto for marimba and string ensemble
1969 Odes métamorphosées
1970 Festival Overture
1970 Requiem for mixed choir and orchestra
1974 Concerto for cello and orchestra
1978 Noesis
1979 Psaume for mixed choir and orchestra
1982 En-Soi Lointain
1984 Kyômon for children's choir and orchestra
1988 Litania pour Fuji
1991 Création sonore
1991 Etoiles à cordes
1995 Dispersion de l'été
1996 Étoile à échos for cello and orchestra
1997 Fruits de brume
1998 Chanson terminale: Effeuillage des Vagues
1972 Sapporo Olympic Fanfare
1987 Subliminal Festa – (Secret Rites)
1990 Stars Atlanpic '96
1991 Cross-By March
2000 Millennium Fanfare
2002 West Wind (timpani concerto)
1954 Violin Sonata
1955 Sonata for flute, cello and piano
1962 String Quartet No. 1
1967 String Quartet No. 2
1969 Huit poèmes for flute octet
1973 Nocturne for flute, clarinet, marimba, double bass and percussion
1975 Litania for double bass and percussion
1979 Hommage for flute, violin and piano
1980 Ixtacchihuatl for percussion ensemble
1982 Rêve colorie for two clarinets
1985 Message Sonore for flute, clarinet, marimba, double bass and percussion
1987 C6H for cello
1989 Ombre Scintillante for flute and harp
1989 Perspective en Spirale for clarinet and piano
1990 5 Esquisses for tuba and marimba
1992 String Quartet No. 3: Constellation Noire
1958 Piano Sonata
1960 Suite In Such Time
1973 Chaînes Prelude for piano
1980 En vers for piano
1981 A Diary of the Sea (28 pieces)
1984 Phenomene sonore I for two pianos
1985 Cahier sonore for four-hand piano
1995 Phenomene sonore II for two pianos
1998 Pour le piano – mouvement circulaire et croisé
1974 Protase "de loin à rien" for two guitars
1975 Epitase
1985 5 Poèmes
1989 Constellation Noire for guitar and string quartet
1962 Conversation – Suite for marimba
- Tender Talk
- So Nice It Was...Repeatedly
- Lingering Chagrin
- Again The Hazy Answer!
- A Lame Excuse
1965 Torse III for marimba
- These
- Chant
- Commentaire
- Synthese
1977 Étude Concertante for 2 marimbas
1987 Rin-sai for marimba solo and six percussion players
1991 Ripple for marimba solo
2001 Prelude Etudes for marimba
1972 Torse IV for shakuhachi, 2 koto, 17-gen and string quartet
1986 Ryusho Kyoku Suifu for shakuhachi, 2 koto und 17-gen
1994 Gikyoku for Japanese instruments
1962 En blanc for soprano and piano
1962 Sei sanryoh hari for soprano and piano
1991 Koeru Kage ni for soprano and piano
1962 Three Lyrics(Mittsu no Jojoh) for women's choir and piano
1962 To my married Daughter for mixed choir
1966 Four Seasons for mixed choir
1968 Five Pictures for Children for mixed choir and piano
- The weathercock
- The trumpet-shell
- "Yajiro-be" – A balancing toy
- The sand-glass
- A top of acorn
1970 Ohson fuki(Ohson didn't come back) for men's choir and piano
1971 Four Autumn Songs for women's choir and piano
1972 Odeko no koitsu for children's choir and piano
1973 5 Japanese Folksongs for mixed choir
- Awa odori
- Sado Okesa
- Kiso bushi
- Soran bushi
- Itsuki no komoriuta
1973 Otewanmiso no uta for mixed choir
1975 Hengetan'ei for mixed choir, shakuhachi, percussion instrument and 17-gen
1976 Kitsune-no-uta(Song of Fox) for children's choir, speaker, and piano
1978 Klee no ehon dai1shū(Klee's Picture book No.1) for mixed choir and guitar
1979 Klee no ehon dai2shū(Klee's Picture book No.2) for men's choir
1982 Norainu Doji for women's choir and piano
1983 Ballades to the Earth for mixed choir
1983 Poems of Animals for mixed choir and piano
1984 Poems of Animals for women's choir and piano
1984 Collection of songs "Died in the Country" for mixed choir and two pianos
1985 Letters To God for children's choir and marimba
1987 Umi(The Sea) for mixed choir and two pianos
1991 Yamagara Diary for children's choir, sanukite and marimba
1992 Asakura Sanka for speaker, mixed choir, Japanese flute and Taiko
1996 Kamuy no kaze (Wind of Kamuy) for mixed choir and piano
2007 The Day - August 6 for mixed choir and piano
(very incomplete)
1959 "Ondine", opera
1999 Faraway Sail, opera
Anne of Green Gables
Books and writings
Akira Miyoshi: The Silent Beat of Japanese Music, in Japanese Essences (Japan as I see it – 3) Shichi Yamamoto, Kenichi Fukui et al., Tokyo. 1985.
Yoko Narasaki: Toru Takemitsu to Akira Miyoshi no Sakkyoku Yoshiki (The Style of Composition of Toru Takemitsu and Akira Miyoshi). Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomosha, 1994.
