Kaito Nakahori


Katsunari Nakahori known by his stage name Kaito Nakahori is a Chinese Japanese composer of contemporary music based in New York City, United States.

Biography

Nakahori was born in Chiba. After Toru Takemitsu's music inspired him at the age of 14, he started teaching composition and piano himself. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Toho College of Music and a Master of Music degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After graduating from schools, he moved to New York, where he had his first portrait concert at the United Nations in 2015. His pieces were performed by Mari Kimura and other performers. He has introduced by the newspaper in Shenzhen, China, as a "Half Chinese, half Japanese, young gifted composer” and the article was reprinted by media in China and Hong Kong: China Daily, Xinhua, Sohu and Ifeng, and so on.
The Japan Cultural Institute in Rome, Italy, invited him to talk about Japanese contemporary music at a symposium. His piece Hidden instincts for piano solo was performed by Aki Takahashi at the concert in June 2013. At the International Percussion Music Radio Festival in March 2014 at Sala Radio Hall in Romania, his piece for vibraphone and piano was commissioned and performed by Shiniti Ueno.
He composed the score for the Huang Yin-Yu's film "After Spring, the Tamaki Family...", and the film has been nominated to best documentary of 2016 Taipei Film Awards, Taipei Film Festival.
From 2015 to 2016, he served as Composer-in-Residence at the Khemia Ensemble. His commissioned piece Zero was performed at their South America tour. This piece won the Brian M. Israel Prize in 2016. Invited by Tongyeong International Music Festival, Hotarubi for hichiriki and string quartet commissioned by Goethe Institut were premiered in 2017. Later on this year, he was invited as composer for Takefu International Music Festival and his commissioned pieces were premiered.
At the 150th anniversary concert of Japan and Hungary diplomatic relations in 2019, he conducted his chamber piece Two Different Paintings commissioned by Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and Okamura Company.

Awards and honors

Orchestra works