Kunihiko Komori

Kunihiko Komori is an active performer in and outside of Japan, who has successfully placed marimba along the tradition of the mainstream western music, programming only the litera- tures composed exclusively for the instrument.

Mr. Komori has performed at Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, WDR-Funkhaus Köln, Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt, Kimmel Center in New York, and Takefu International Music Festival for the world premiere of marimba works. In Japan, he has premiered marimba master works written by such composers as Roger Reynolds, John Serry, Eugene O’Brien, and Alejandro Vinao.

Also, Mr. Komori was the first marimbist select- ed to perform at the Tokyo Opera City for its “B to C (Bach to Contemporary) Recital Series” and has participated in the second World Marimba Festival, Osaka, as a guest recitalist. His performance of Toshio Hosokawa’s “Reminiscence” can be heard in a CD released by Fontec titled “Re- Turning – Works by Toshio Hosokawa”. Mr. Komori frequently appears in master classes in and outside of Japan, giving lectures not only to percussion- ists but to composers as well, in order to pro- mote the understanding of modern music for marimba.

Mr. Komori has already won many awards, including the first prize at the Crane New Music Festival competition and the Individual Artist Award in Instrumental Performance from the Maryland State Arts Council and was select- ed as one of marimbists from across the world to perform at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention 2000. Mr. Komori received Bachelors degree from Eastman School of Music with the Performer’s Certificate. He also completed his Master’s degree and Graduate Performance Diploma program with full scholarship at Peabody Conservatory of Music of Johns Hopkins University. His teachers include John Beck, William Moersch and Robert van Sice. Kunihiko Komori is a performing artist for Vic Firth Inc. and Pearl Corporation, and performs on an Adams marimba exclusively.