Missa Johnouchi

Missa Johnouchi (城之内 ミサ; Jōnouchi Misa) (born 1960) is an artist who creates Asian-styled new-age music. She is not only a composer and pianist, but also a conductor and singer. Missa Johnouchi was named UNESCO Artist for Peace in August 2006.

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 wrotet, 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.

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Wikipedia