Morikawa, Kotaro

Kotaro Morikawa

Prize winner composer of the Composition competition “The contemporary piano 2017″ for his work for piano “digital VIII”

He was born in Akita (Japan) on 30th April 1971. Studying at Kyoto University of Fine Arts and Music, he studied composition and musical theory to post graduate level at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.

In 1997, he won the 2nd prize at the Music Competition of Japan, one of music competitions with authority and tradition in Japan, composition department with SYMPTOM (SIGN). And this work was selected as a recommended work in the section under 30 years old at the International Rostrum of Composers in 1998. In 2002, he won first prize at the founding Percussion Group 72 30 year commemorative composition competition with ORBIT, and in 2003, he won the 2nd prize at the Sogakudo Japan art song competition composition department with MEZAME (AWAKENING). In 2008, he won the prize at the Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition composition department in 2008 with STRING QUARTET. In 2012, he won the 1st prize at the Associazione Culturale “Audire Musica delle Sfere” 1st International Contest for Musical Composition with EROSION. He is currently an Associate professor at the Mie University.

DIGITAL VIII

About this work I used ostinato. This creates a sense of stability in music. When stability is lost to music, people will find it hard to memorize that music. However, I think that if people’s stability is excessive, people will cause stagnation. In that sense “change” is a sign of progress (Of course, I do not think that all changes will have it). In addition, relentless iteration sometimes makes us feel abnormal.

In this work, digital VIII, using ostinato relentlessly, it expresses stagnation and abnormality, but this is also an irony of contemporary society. But I cannot abandoned my ideals. Even in this work, although it is slight, has a transition. The fact that this stability is but one remove from abnormality and that another factor (defiance against stagnation) lives together, In other words, the existence of “others” or the simultaneous existence of different things brings breathing to the music.