Akemi Naito

Born in Tokyo in 1956, Akemi Naito began studying piano at the age of five and composition at the age of fourteen. In 1978, she received B.A. in Music Composition from the University Division at the Toho Gakuen School of Music and graduate degree from the same university in 1980, and was a member of school’s faculty from 1980 until 1991. She was awarded the Takei Prize in 1982 and a finalist of the Music Today Composition Award in 1982 and 1988. Following her earlier activity as a composer in Tokyo, she received a grant from the Asian Cultural Council, that enabled her to come to New York City in 1991. She has since established herself as a New York-based composer.