Ushio Torikai

In the early 1980s, Torikai devoted significant effort to introducing shomyo (Japanese Buddhist monks' chants) and ancient Japanese music and instruments to the Japanese contemporary music scene and audience. For example, she was responsible for the reconstruction and reintroduction of the kugo, an ancient Asian angular harp whose origins can be traced back more than three millennia and which had been unused for over 1200 years. The mission to bring it back to life led to her philosophy of “positivity” - the fundamental human desire to follow our incredible imagination - and that individuals possess their own kind of “music” and beauty unique to themselves.

She started a concert series of her own music in 1979, and was invited to the Paris Biennale in 1982. Concerts of her music have since been presented in major cities in Europe, North America and Japan, including at the Georges Pompidou Center (Paris), the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (New York), the Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco), and Meiji Shrine (Tokyo).

Ushio Torikai (鳥養潮; surname Torikai; born July 11, 1952 in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music. She is known for her highly individual musical voice, developed over many years of research and compositional experience in diverse musical fields including European classical music, traditional Japanese music, ancient Japanese music and computer/electronics.