Toshi Ichiyanagi

was a Japanese composer of avant-garde music.

Ichiyanagi was born in Kobe, Japan.

One of his best known works is the 1960 composition Kaiki, which combined Japanese instruments, shō and koto, and western instruments, harmonica and saxophone.

Another work, Distance (1961), required the performers to play from a distance of three meters from their instruments. Anima 7 (1964) stated that chosen action should be performed "as slowly as possible".

Ichiyanagi was married to Yoko Ono from 1956 to 1963.Japan, An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Kodansha International, Tokyo, 1993, p. 1155 mentions that she married him in 1956, but does not say until when they were married.

Ichiyanagi won the 33rd Suntory Music Award (2001). He has been honored with Japan's Order of Culture. "Donald Keene, 7 others win Order of Culture,"  Yomiuri Shimbun. October 29, 2008.
Ichiyanagi died on 7 October 2022, at the age of 89.
References

Other websites


 Julian Cope's Japrocksampler entry on Toshi Ichiyanagi 

Category:1933 births
Category:2022 deaths
Category:Japanese composers