Isao Nakamura

Isao Nakamura is a Professor at the University of Music Karlsruhe since 1992 and a Visiting Professor at Kyoto City University of Arts since 2014. Born in Osaka in 1958, he is renowned for his expertise in traditional Japanese taiko drums and contemporary percussion. His career spans extensive collaborations with composers like John Cage, Toshio Hosokawa, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, and performances with major orchestras worldwide. He has founded the Isao Nakamura Percussion Ensemble and the duo Conflict, producing notable recordings such as the Hosokawa album and the DVD Ekstasis.

• Education: Studied under Makoto Aruga, Michiko Takahashi (Tokyo University of the Arts), and Bernhard Wulff (Freiburg University of Music).

His research and performance interests focus on bridging traditional Japanese music with contemporary experimental practices. He has premiered numerous works composed specifically for him, including pieces by Toshio Hosokawa and Klaus Huber.

• Awards: Kranichstein Music Prize (1986), Aoyama Music Award Special Prize (1992), Keizo Saji Prize (2004).

Teaching engagements include the International Summer Course for New Music in Darmstadt (1994–2006) and the Akiyoshidai International Contemporary Music Festival in Japan (1991–1998). He leads the Isao Nakamura Percussion Ensemble, emphasizing interdisciplinary and avant-garde musical exploration.