Cherry Station - Biographies

Fumio Tamara, Composer (Japanese)

Born in 1968 in Tokyo, Fumio Tamura majored in composition at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts with Jo Kondo and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London with Robert Saxton. He received a fellowship under the Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists from 1995 to 1997.

His pieces have been performed at several music festivals including the Spitalfields Music Festival, The Asian Music Festival and the Tokyo-no-natsu music festival where his piece (That victory of theirs illuminated the road I must walk tomorrow) was specially performed by the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble.

He has won several prizes and awards including the Valentio Bucchi International Composition Competition and the JACA Award for Theatre Arts. He currently teaches at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music and at other schools in the Tokyo area.

Kei Kasahara, Librettist (Japanese)

Kei Kasahara is a translator and professional interpreter based in London. His works as a librettist include Aruharetahini (One Fine Day...), an Italian operetta in Japanese; Jobunhan konogoro (These days at the information department), a short farce, and Kaeuta (Sketches), a song cycle.