Japanese pianists win top and second prizes in Paris contest
Japanese artists won the first and second prizes in the piano category of the Long-Thibaud-Crespin international classical music competition in Paris on Saturday. "Winning the competition was beyond expectations," said Kenji Miura, 26, who captured the First Grand Prix. "I'm glad that my hard work has ...
K-pop star G-Dragon, leader of Big Bang, ends military service as fans mob base
Fans of the K-pop boy band Big Bang gathered on Saturday to see leader G-Dragon return to civilian life after his discharge from military service. G-Dragon, 31, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, completed almost two years of mandatory military service and was discharged at ...
Tetsuya Komuro: J-pop inventor's synth-powered dance tunes set the tone for post-bubble Japan
The term J-pop, a Heisei invention, needed a defining characteristic to make it stand out from the Showa Era's soundtrack, and Komuro provided a synthesizer-powered foundation.
Nagoya student tracks classical and jazz gigs for music fans across Japan
A student at Nagoya University's Graduate School of Information Science has developed an online platform for music fans that keeps them update on classical and jazz concerts by musician and venue. Kanji Toyama, 24, named the service Sonoligo after his startup Sonoligo Inc., which incorporates ...
Japanese violinist wins second prize in prestigious Brahms contest in Austria
Maine Nishiyama of Japan won second prize in the violin category of the annual International Johannes Brahms Competition held Friday in Poertschach, Austria. Nishiyama, 18, is currently studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. She said after the competition that it is ...
Sony backs maker of instrument that RZA and Grimes can't live without
Sony Corp.'s venture capital arm is backing Roli, the maker of digital musical instruments like the Seaboard that have attracted stars including Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA and Canadian artist Grimes. CEO Roland Lamb described the funding from the Sony Innovation Fund as a "significant investment ...
Japanese singer Hideki Saijo, known for cover song of 'Y.M.C.A.,' dies at 63
Hideki Saijo, a singer popular in Asia and best known for his cover song of the megahit "Y.M.C.A.," died of acute heart failure Wednesday, his office said. He was 63. The television celebrity took the Japanese music industry by storm in the 1970s and 1980s, ...
J-pop diva Namie Amuro plans to exit showbiz next September after 25-year career
Popular singer Namie Amuro, who has a strong fan base in Asia, said Wednesday she will quit show business next September. "I, Namie Amuro, would like to take this opportunity to inform all of my fans of my decision to retire as of Sept. 16, ...
Japanese folk singer Matsuyama serenades irritated passengers on delayed flight
Japanese folk singer Chiharu Matsuyama sang his hit song on a plane that remained grounded over an hour past its departure time at a Hokkaido airport Sunday, in a bid to ease passengers' irritation, according to All Nippon Airways Co. Matsuyama, a Hokkaido native, came ...
Ticket scalping needs to be stamped out, but doing so won't be easy.
Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' is first to sell 30 million in U.S.
Michael Jackson's album "Thriller" is still breaking barriers more than 30 years after its release and six years after the pop superstar's death, becoming the first album in history to cross the 30 million mark in U.S. sales, record industry officials said on Wednesday. "Thriller," ...
