Takahiro SAKUMA was born in 1972 in Sapporo, Japan, later lived in Sendai. He studied under the professors Reiko Arima, Akira Ifukube and Sei Ikeno at the Tokyo College of Music. After graduating from the composition of the college, he went to the graduate school of same college where he studied under the professors Reiko Arima, Akira Nishimura, Shin-ichiro Ikebe and Joji Yuasa. He received Arts Master 1998. After that Sakuma worked as an assistant of the department of composition of same college.
1995 his work “Rhythmic Dance for Band” was awarded the honorable mention in the competition of All Japan Band Association. He has received influence in the music of Northern Europe and Latin America that has affected his ideas and works. Through the strong influence, he went to Argentina and studied composition under the professor Fernando Maglia at the Conservatorio Nacional Superior de Música, Buenos Aires. He got interested in a guitar in this country, after returning to his homeland, Sakuma wrote two works for guitar. One is called “Dances for two gods” that progressed to the semifinal in the 6º Concorso Internazionale di Composizione per Chitarra Classica , Alessandria, Italy. Other is called “The dawn of...” for guitar and strings that was awarded the honorable mention in the 1º Concurso Internacional de Composición – Homenaje al maestro Raúl Sánchez Clagget”, Montevideo, Uruguay.
In 2005 his work “Concertino for Trumpet and Orchestra - praise of the earth-” wais awarded the 1st place in the XI International Composers Competition “2 AGOSTO”, Bologna, Italy.
Web: http://users.telenet.be/wim.godderis/Paginas/nieuws_bot_en.htm (2012)