Lioko Kihara

Lioko Kihara ( Kihara Liōko) is a Japanese composer, pianist, music educator, and author.https://enc.piano.or.jp/persons/1198 "Ryoko (Lioko) Kihara" from PTNA Piano Encyclopedia. The Piano Teachers' National Association of Japan, 2021.
Kihara is best known for her Piano Land, a series of instruction books for the piano. Since its publication in 1991, the series of Piano Land has been a major influence in music pedagogy in Japan, and now it is regarded as one of the most standard textbooks especially in elementary piano education in the country.https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGKKZO97916840S6A300C1EA1000/ The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Japan Economics Newspaper) March 2, 2016
Kihara's works for the piano are popular among Japanese pianists and piano students. Some of the Japanese leading pianists such as Izumi Tateno perform her works frequently as part of their core repertoire. 
Other than classical music, she wrote music for some of the major video game titles. Almost all of her music is published by Ongaku No Tomo Corporation, one of the representative music publishers in Japan. 
== Major Works ==
=== Piano Instruction Books ===
*All of the books below are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha Corporation.
==== The Series of Piano Land ====
"Piano Land (ピアノランド)" (In 5 Volumes, 1991~92)
"Piano Land; Techniques for Fun (ピアノランド たのしいテクニック)" (In 3 Volumes, 1993~94)
"Piano Land; For Concert (ピアノランド コンサート)" (In 3 Volumes, 2000)
"Preparatory; Piano Land (プレピアノランド)" (In 3 Volumes, 2002)
"Piano Land; Scale, Mode, and Arpeggio (ピアノランド スケール・モード・アルペジオ)" (2016)
"Piano Land; Scale Practice Book for Children (ピアノランド こどものスケールブック)" (2021)
==== Other than Piano Land ====
"Opening Your Ears; How to Hear Chords (耳を開く 聴きとり術 コード編)" (2014)
"12 Doors for Improvisation (即興演奏12の扉)" (2019)
=== Music ===
*All of the music below are published by Ongaku No Tomo Corporation.
==== Piano Music ====
"A Small Box in My Heart (こころの小箱, Kokoro no Kobako)" (Suite for solo piano & piano four hands, 2011)
"Rhapsody No. 1 (ラプソディ第1番)" (For piano four hands, 2012)
"A Dream in a Dream (夢の中の夢, Yume no Naka no Yume)" (Suite for solo piano, 2012)
"A Gentle Look (やさしいまなざし, Yasashii Manazashi)" (Suite for solo piano, 2013)
"Wind in the Sky (天空の風, Tenkuu no Kaze)" (For piano left hand, dedicated to Izumi Tateno, 2017)
"The Trilogy of Seasons (季節の三部作, Kisetsu no Sanbusaku)" (Suite for piano left hand, dedicated to Izumi Tateno, 2020)
"Rhapsody No. 2 (ラプソディ第2番)" (For solo piano & piano four hands, 2020)
==== Vocal & Choral Music ====
"Ballade for Children (子供達へのバラード, Kodomotachi eno Barado)" (1993)
"Flower (花, Hana)" (Main Theme Song of a Video Game "Ore no Shikabane o Koeteike", 1999)
"My Wish ~On the Day of Christmas~ (願い ～クリスマスの日に～, Negai ~Kurisumasu no Hi ni~)" (2005)
"My Wish ~Getting Over the Great Earthquake~ (願い ～震災を乗り越えて～, Negai ~Shinsai o Norikoete~)" (2013)
==== Game Music ====
Momotaro Densetsu (桃太郎伝説, 1987)
Momotaro Dentetsu (桃太郎電鉄, 1988)
:ja:リンダキューブ|Linda Cube (リンダキューブ, 1995~97)
Ore no Shikabane o Koeteike (俺の屍を越えてゆけ, 1999)
=== Writing ===
"Want to Play the Piano? (ピアノを弾きたいあなたへ, Piano o Hikitai Anatae)" (2009/2015, Kodansha) International Standard Book Number|ISBN: 978-4062815857
"Raising Children in the Kiharas ~Days of Piano Land & Smiling (樹原家の子育て ～ピアノランドと笑顔の毎日, Kiharake no Kosodate ~Piano Land to Egao no Mainichi)" (2010, Kadokawa Shoten) International Standard Book Number|ISBN: 978-4048850704
Category:Japanese composers 
Category:Japanese pianists
Category:Japanese music educators
Category:Japanese writers