Missa Johnouchi
Missa Johnouchi (城之内 ミサ; "Jōnouchi Misa") (born 1960) is a composer, pianist, conductor and singer who creates Asian-styled new-age music. . Missa Johnouchi was named UNESCO Artist for Peace in August 2006. Personality. Profile. Musician, UNESCO Artist for Peace, Ambassadress of the musical relations for the events commemorative of the 1300th anniversary of the Capital of Nara Heijo-Kyo. While being registered at the Academic institute of music of Toho, the theory of musical composition section, she began to compose in the audio-visual area for successful television series, commercials s and the cinema. She studied in  France under the direction of the composer Jean-Claude Petit. Since 1988, Missa Johnouchi is accompanied by the Orchestre National de l’Opéra de Paris and the Orchestre National de Paris for the making of her albums. In 1993, she participated t in the international conductors contest of Besançon. Her album of Asian original compositions, “Healing music”, was one of the best selling albums in the occidental countries. Among her several performances and the first time ever, she gave a concert based on her own compositions, as a pianist and as a conductor, in the department of Nara, in front of  Kofukuji and Higashikondo (indicated like national treasures). Missa Johnouchi wrote composed and played the music in the opening ceremony of the Flower Festival of Hamanakako, entitled “New elegances of the flowers”, whose production was ensured by a great Master of Japanese poetry, Mannnojo Nomura. At the “World Heritage Torch-Run Concert – Missa Johnouchi”, organized upon the initiative of several countries around the world, the artist plays her own musical compositions on the piano and directs the national orchestras of these countries. She performed in America, China, Tunisia, Italy, Australia, Venezuela, Peru, Canada, Macedonia, Romania and France for commemorative events. At  the Carnegie Hall in New York, 200 families of the victims of the terrorist attack of 11 September were invited to the concert organized for the wish to obtain peace. She also performed for the 30th birthday of the Japanese and Australian relations at the Opera house in Sidney, part of UNESCOe list of the world heritage. In 2006, for the first time, a Japanese female composer and conductor was appointed e UNESCO Artist for Peace. In May 2007, at the “World Heritage Torch-Run Concert for the 35th anniversary of the convention on the protection of the world heritage ” in the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, Missa Johnouchi played her own music, and e directed the Orchestre National de l’Opéra de Paris that accompanied her. Moreover, she composed the music that accompanied the images of the exhibition at the Petit Palais of Paris, entitled “Shôkokuji, Gold Pavilion, Silver Pavilion, Zen and Art with Kyoto within the celebration of the 150th birthday of the Japanese and French relations and the 50th birthday of the Paris and Kyoto twin cities”. In October 2009, the album « Spiritual Discovery » is released, for the first time in cooperation with UNESCO. Still  today, she continues, in her own country and abroad, her function as a UNESCO messenger, as could be seen during the exceptional concert that took place at UNESCO’s Headquarters on 12 November 2009 in Paris or in Tokyo in November 2010 where she gave a charity concert for the children of Afghanistan. She was the first Japanese female “UNESCO Artist for Peace (in charge of the world heritage)” in the section musical composition and conduction, to continue to transmit the message on “ Peace of the heart”, “ conservation of the world heritage”, “ environmental protection”, “ education”. Discography. Kuge (29 October 2003 ). DISC 1 DISC 2 (Symphony)