講師紹介
中野薫
Kaori Nakano
中野 薫 プロフィール
中野薫は、作曲家、ピアニスト、ジャズピアニスト、音楽理論指導、DTM音楽制作者、そして教育者として多岐にわたる活動を行っています。30年以上にわたりヤマハ音楽教室（Yamaha Music School：旧PMS)で講師を務め、4歳から90歳までの幅広い年齢層にピアノ、ポップスピアノ、ジャズピアノを指導し、ヤマハ講師資格試験合格者、ピアノ指導者、ウェディングプレイヤーを育成してきました。
ヤマハピアノ演奏グレード3級・指導グレード3級取得、学習者グレード試験管認定、Midi検定2級筆記試験認定指導者
2020年以降は作曲家としての活動を本格化させ、アメリカとウィーンの楽譜出版社から作品を出版しています。アメリカでは、ジャズアンサンブル作品が全米最大の音楽学会The Midwest ClinicのJazz Ensemble New Reading Sessionで複数回取り上げられ、プロの演奏家によって披露されました。また、International Songwriting Competitionで3度のセミファイナリストに選出され、2024年にはJW Pepper Editors’ Choiceにも選ばれるなど、ジャズの本場アメリカ教育現場で高い評価を得ています。
クラシック分野では、ウィーンのUniversal Editionからピアノ作品やフルートソロ作品を出版し、NAXOSからもCDが３枚リリースされています。2025年にはピアノ作品を含む4枚目のCDリリースも予定されています。また、オーケストラアレンジ作品の委託を受け、バレエ作品やジブリのオーケストラアレンジが演奏されたほか、NAXOSからリリースされたストリング・オーケストラ作品がComposition CompetitionでHonorable Mentionを受賞しています。
受賞歴としては、「Little Sunflowers under the dark sky」がRenee B. Fisher Piano CompetitionでComposer Awardを受賞し、2025年度piano competition 小学・中学生部門の課題曲に選らばれ演奏されました。
また「A Sunflower Under The Blue Sky」がRodrigo Landa Romero International Composition Competitionで第2位を受賞するなど、国内外で多数の賞を獲得しています。
Black House Saxophone Quartet Competition(2013)にてSax Quartet作品が入賞し、h2 Quartetによって演奏されました。またこの曲はPML、米音楽教育コンクールの課題曲にも選ばれました。
ジャンルにとらわれず、ジャズからコンテンポラリー・クラシックまで幅広い作品を手がけ、プロによる演奏や楽譜出版を通じて海外でも作品を発表しています。国内では、保育士試験や教員採用試験の課題曲のピアノアレンジ楽譜を多数出版し、好評を博しています。
音楽教育者としての経験に加え、DTMによる音楽制作も行い、オリンピック強化選手のための体操BGMや人形劇団のBGM制作なども手がけています。ヤマハピアノ演奏・指導グレード3級、MIDI検定2級などの資格を持ち、ジャズピアノを大塚善章氏、ジャズ作編曲を田中克彦氏に師事しました。龍谷大学大学院文学研究科後期博士課程単位取得。修士論文のテーマは唯識。東洋哲学にも造詣が深く、音楽が人間の経験への深い理解に基づくべきだと考えています。
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楽譜出版 TUX Peple’s Music（アメリカ）
“In The Case of Her And Him” for Sax Quartet
Texas UIL Prescriber Music List - Grade 1
Performed by official group at The Midwest Clinic in 2021
Black House Saxophone Quartet Competition(2013): performed by H2 Quartet
“FLEXING”
Semi-Finalist for International Songwriting Competition 2010
Selected and performed for Jazz New Music Reading Session at The Midwest Clinic in 2021
“His Faint Whiff of the Midnight”
Selected and performed for Jazz New Music Reading Session at The Midwest Clinic in 2021
Special Prize (Special Mentioned)- 3rd ISAC International Popular Music Composition Competition
“It’s a Piece of Cake!”
Semi-Finalist for International Songwriting Competition 2021
Selected and performed for Jazz New Music Reading Session at The Midwest Clinic in 2022
“A Star Stolen from the Night Sky”
Semi-Finalist for International Songwriting Competition 2022
Selected and performed for Jazz New Music Reading Session at The Midwest Clinic in 2023
JW Pepper Editors’ Choice 2024 Jazz
楽譜出版 Universal Edition （ウィーン）
“Improvisation” for solo flute comp. by Kaori Nakano
From Album “TWO MINUTES” for solo flute
Global Music Award - Outstanding-Silver Medal Double Winne
“A Sunflower Under The Blue Sky” for solo piano
Second Prize at the “Rodrigo Landa Romero International Composition Competition 2022
NAXOS
NAXOS CDリリース
TWO MINUTES for solo flute
“Improvisation” comp. by Kaori Nakano
Global Music Award - Outstanding-Silver Medal Double Winner
NUN
“Chi-ra-I（地籟）”Earth Sounds for solo flute
comp. by Kaori Nakano
CHISINAU 4
“The girl’s blue and yellow pendant” for string orchestra
comp. by Kaori Nakano
Honorable Mention , Orchestral Category - Sempre Musick’s 2024 Composition Competition (12/30 2024)
受賞歴
“Little Sunflowers under the dark sky” for solo piano
Composer Award - Primary/Junior School division -
Renee B. Fisher Piano Competition for Young Pianists (May 3, 2025)
Sempre Musick 2024 Composition Competition
Honorable Mention, Orchestral Category (Nov. 2024)
The 3rd ISAC International Popular Music Composition Competition of winner
Special Prize Special Mentioned (Sep. 30. 2023)
“A Sunflower Under The Blue Sky” for solo piano
“Rodrigo Landa Romero International Composition Competition 2022
Second Prize
Black House Saxophone Quartet Competition(2013):
Semi-Finalist for International Songwriting Competition 2010, 2021, 2022, 2024
プロによる演奏作品
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame
Satoshi Okamoto & Pascual Martinez Forteza Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWU7JaiCXs&list=RDDDWU7JaiCXs&start_radio=1
▶️“Lullaby of Itsuki” by Kaori Nakano (1:23~)
New Thread Quartet: Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame 12:52~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TInGdSI5hw&list=RD1TInGdSI5hw&start_radio=1
▶️“Movement $001” by Kaori Nakano
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Thomas Piercy with the hichiriki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDWz2sMFA-8
▶️“Shi-no-no-me” by Kaori Nakano (4:28~)
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring B# Chamber Trio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS06T_f-fdQ&list=RDuS06T_f-fdQ&start_radio=1
▶️“A White dove crossing the sea” by Kaori Nakano (20:18~)
Composer’s Voice features the Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame and its 15th year anniversary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2dV-phtAWA&list=RDv2dV-phtAWA&start_radio=1&t=759s
▶️“Shi-no-no-me” by Kaori Nakano (10/43~)
“Rodrigo Landa Romero International Composition Competition 2022
Second Prize
▶️“A Sunflower Under The Blue Sky” for solo piano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHjhxo2iXDE
Black House Saxophone Quartet Competition(2013):
▶️"In the Case of Her and Him"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLTw3UvhPK8&list=RDWLTw3UvhPK8&start_radio=1
▶️Improvisation played by Iwona Glinka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNDFkyw0lM&list=OLAK5uy_k4njnXXwo5OA3HTYJCUYH2vr-m1ljoPGA&index=21
▶️Chi-ra-i "Earth Sounds" played by Iwona Glinka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_B1mj9XaVU&list=OLAK5uy_lLo9XZouxYF3xzKtqVUvcm-goaivGCP30&index=13
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Kaori Nakano Profile
Kaori Nakano is a multifaceted composer, pianist, jazz pianist, music theorist, DTM music producer, and educator. For over 30 years, she taught at a major music school, guiding students from ages 4 to 90 in piano, pop piano, and jazz piano. She has successfully prepared candidates for Yamaha instructor qualification exams and trained wedding performers.
Since 2020, Nakano has expanded her activities as a composer, establishing connections with music publishers in the U.S. and Vienna. Her jazz ensemble works have been featured multiple times at The Midwest Clinic's Jazz Ensemble New Reading Session, performed by professionals for music educators nationwide in 2021, 2022, and 2024. Her jazz compositions have received significant acclaim in the U.S., the birthplace of jazz, notably being a three-time Semi-Finalist at the International Songwriting Competition and an Editors' Choice for JW Pepper in 2024.
In the classical realm, Nakano has published piano and flute solo works with Universal Edition in Vienna, and her music has been released on NAXOS CDs. A fourth CD, featuring three piano pieces, is scheduled for release in late 2025. She has also received commissions for orchestral arrangements, including ballet and Ghibli works, and an orchestral piece released by NAXOS received an Honorable Mention at a 2024 Composition Competition.
Her diverse accolades include a Composer Award for "Little Sunflowers under the dark sky" at the Renee B. Fisher Piano Competition and Second Prize for "A Sunflower Under The Blue Sky" at the Rodrigo Landa Romero International Composition Competition.
Nakano's works span jazz to contemporary classical, earning awards and professional performances, with scores published and presented internationally. Domestically, she has published 92 piano arrangements on Piascore for kindergarten teacher exams, school music, and teacher recruitment practical exams, lauded for their beautiful yet accessible arrangements.
She also produces DTM music for various projects, including floor exercises for Olympic (strengthening athletes) in rhythmic gymnastics, award-winning BGM for puppet theater, and commissioned BGM for Tai Chi.
Kaori Nakano holds Yamaha Piano Performance Grade 3 and Instructor Grade 3 certifications, is a certified learner grade examiner, and has MIDI Certification Level 2 and instructor qualification. She studied jazz piano with Yoshio Otsuka and jazz composition/arrangement with Katsuhiko Tanaka. Her philosophy, influenced by her master's degree in Indian Buddhism and Yogacara thought from Ryukoku University, believes music should stem from a profound understanding of human experience.
