Teiji Ito
| Teiji Ito | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Native name | 伊藤貞司 |
| Born |
January 22, 1935 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | August 16, 1982 (aged 47) Haiti |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Composer |
| Years active | 1952-1982 |
| Known for | Film scores for avant-garde artist Maya Deren |
| Spouse(s) | Maya Deren (1960-1961) Gail Ryan Ilene Itō Cherel Winett |
| Children | Tavia Itō |
| Parent(s) | Teiko Ono Yuji Itō |
| Relatives | Genji Itō (brother) Teimoc Johnston-Ono (brother) |
Teiji Ito (伊藤貞司 Itō Teiji?, January 22, 1935 – August 16, 1982) was a Japanese composer and performer. He is best known for his scores for the avant-garde films by Maya Deren. The independent filmmaker, Barbara Hammer, continues to promote and educate the world about both Teiji and his wife, Maya Deren.
Ito was born in Tokyo, Japan to a theatrical family. His mother, Teiki Ono, was a dancer and his father, Yuji Ito, was a designer and composer. His family moved to the United States when he was six. Ito accompanied his mother's dance performance at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City; he performed for both Japanese and Korean dance. At 15, he ran away from home. He began to compose at age 17. He met Maya Deren during this time and in 1955, traveled with her to Haiti. There, Ito studied under a master drummer. Ito would also compose the score for Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon at Deren's request. Ito married Deren in 1960 and remained married to her until her death in 1961. He won an Obie Award for his scores during the 1960-1961 off-Broadway season; the productions included Brecht's In the Jungle of Cities, King Ubu, and Three Modern Japanese Plays. In 1963, he composed the score for the Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Ito wrote Watermill which was performed by the New York City Ballet in 1971. He had written the book The Japanese Garden : An Approach to Nature in 1972; the book detailed the basic elements of a Japanese garden. Ito also performed and composed for Jean Erdman's Theater of the Open Eye.
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