Wataru MUKAI:

Composer, drag queen and activist.

He is working on gender and queer themes and using documentary techniques in his music theatre research.

A native of Japan, WATARU MUKAI (b.1993) was first introduced to musical composition at the age of three, and began his first composition lessons in one of the Yamaha Music Programs one year later.

He also has composed for a variety of arts, such as movies and theatrical art.

He was awarded scholarships from the Rohm music foundation(2019-2020), the Kuma foundation(2018-2019), 4th Japan Public-Private Partnership Student Study Abroad Program(2016-17), the Munetsugu-Tokuji music foundation(2016) and a full national scholarship at Tokyo university of the Arts/Geidai (2012-2014).

He gains several international awards: 1st Prize at International Composer's Competition OgMB(2nd prize was not awarded), 1st Prize at 8th International composer's competition "NEW NOTE" Croatia 2019, 2nd Prize and Jury's special award at 3rd Senzoku Contemporary Composition Competition (Orchestra department), 3rd at the 29th Siegburg Composition Competition, 2nd and Iwatani award(Audience award) at the 84th Music Competition of Japan, Finalist at the 27th Akutagawa Composition Award, 2nd prize at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Conservatory competition 2018〈Electronics: Johnathan Schmieding〉, Impronta Edition Prize at 1st Impronta Ensemble Composition Competition 2019, Ataka music prize (2015) and Acanthus music prize (2016).

His works have been selected for the 44th Samobor Music Festival(Croatia), the Darmstadt International Summer Courses 2018(Germany) and the Suntory Hall Summer Festival 2017(Tokyo), Works performed and commissioned by ensembles/orchestras, notably New Japan Philharmonic, Geidai Philharmonic Orchestra, International Ensemble Modern Academy, TonArt Orchestra, Ensemble REAM, Tokyo Sinfonietta and Senzoku New Philharmonic Orchestra.

Wataru graduated at the top of his class from Tokyo university of the Arts/Geidai in 2016. He has studied composition with Midori Okubo, Shirotomo Aizawa, Jo Kondo and Jummei Suzuki, and studied at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts under professor of composition Sidney Corbett and Philipp Ludwig Stangl and at the Bern University of the Arts under professor of Stefan Wirth, Simon Steen-Andersen, Angela Körfer-Bürger. Wataru MUKAI is currently doing his doctorate at the Anton Bruckner Private University.

His PhD research involved the creation of a documentary music theatre based on field research in gay towns in different countries. Recent published works include 'Dancing Queer - for orchestra' (2022) (commissioned by Ensemble Free, to be premiered in September), a collection of politicians' and artists' discourses on queer people, based on the 2018 shooting at a gay club in Florida, USA. And the rape and then the cutting out of her tongue "Nakanai Tsubame" ("non-singing" swallows)" III (2022) (to be premiered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands), a protest against gender inequality and minority discrimination, based on the Greek mythological character Philomela, through music, his drag and feminist speeches.

(Photos: Tomáš Mačej )

Wataru MUKAI: Komponist, Darsteller.

Er wurde 1993 in Japan geboren. Er machte seinen Bachelor-Abschluss mit Auszeichung als Jahrgangsbester in Komposition an der Tokyo University of the Arts/GEIDAI (2016). Stipendien erhielt er von der Tokyo University of the Arts/GEIDAI (2012-15), der Tokuji Munetsugu Music Foundation (2016-17) , von dem Studienprogrammes Public-Private Partnership Student of Japan (2016-17), der Kuma Foundation(2018-2019) und von dem Rohm Musik Foundation(2019-2020). Er studierte außerdem bei Prof. Jo Kondo, Prof. Jummei Suzuki, Prof. Aizawa Shirotomo und bei Midori Okubo.

Mit seinem Werk “and yes, I said yes, I will Yes.” für Orchester gewann Wataru 2015 den Ataka-Musikpreis und im darauffolgenden Jahr 2016 gewann er mit seinem Abschlusswerk  “Phosphene－Prinsessegade, 1440” den Acanthus-Musikpreis. Außerdem erzielte er den 2. Platz und bekam eine Sonderauszeichunung von der Jury beim 3. Senzoku Contemporary Composition Competition (2015) der Orchester Division, den 3. Platz beim 29. Kompositionswettbewerbs der Kreisstadt Siegburg (2017), den 2. Platz und Iwatani Preis(Publikumspreis) beim 86. Music Competition of Japan (2017) in Komposition und Finalisten beim 27. Akutagawa Kompositions Orchester Preis (2017), Preis des Bundespräsidenten beim Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschulwettbewerb 2018〈Elektronics: Johnathan Schmieding〉, und 1.Platz beim International Composer's Competition OgMB (2019).

07.2019, mit seinem Werk “Psi” für Grosses Ensemble gewann er den 1. Platz beim 8. International composer's competition NEW NOTE Croatia (2019).

Seine Werke wurden von zahlreichen Ensembles und Interpreten gespielt, unter anderem den Neues Philharmonieorchester Japan, Geidai Philharmonic Orchestra, Senzoku New Philharmonic Orchestra, Internationale Ensemble Modern Akademie, TonArt Orchestra, Ensemble REAM, Tokyo Sinfonietta usw, ausserdem wurden seine Werke für das 44. Samobor Music Festival (Kroatien), die Darmstädter Ferienkurse 2018 (Deutschland) und das Suntory Hall Summer Festival 2017 (Japan) ausgewählt,

Seit 2016 studiert er den Master-Studiengang für Komposition an der Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim bei Prof. Sidney Corbett und Prof. Philipp Ludwig Stangl, 2019 studierte er den Master-Studiengang für Théâtre musical an der Hochschule der Künste Bern bei Prof. Stefan Wirth, Prof. Simon Steen-Andersen, Prof. Angela Körfer-Bürger. Wataru MUKAI promoviert derzeit an der Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität.

(Fotos:  Tomáš Mačej )