Karen Tanaka facts for kids

Karen Tanaka, born on April 7, 1961, is a talented Japanese composer. She creates many different kinds of music, from classical pieces for orchestras to music for films and TV shows. Her music often shows her love for nature and the environment.

Quick facts for kids Karen Tanaka
Karen Tanaka (composer)
Background information
Birth name	Karen Tanaka
Born	(1961-04-07) 7 April 1961 (age 64) Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Contemporary classical, Film Music
Occupation(s)	Composer
Instruments	piano, keyboard, synthesizer, personal computer
Years active	1984–present

About Karen Tanaka

Karen Tanaka was born in Tokyo, Japan. She started learning piano and how to compose music when she was a child. She studied at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo.

In 1986, she moved to Paris, France, with a special scholarship. There, she continued to study music and worked at a famous music research center called IRCAM. A year later, in 1987, she won an important award called the Gaudeamus International Composers Award. She also studied music in Italy with a famous composer named Luciano Berio.

Karen Tanaka has received many honors for her work. In 1998, she became a co-artistic director for the Yatsugatake Kogen Music Festival. This festival was once led by another famous Japanese composer, Toru Takemitsu. In 2005, she was given the Bekku Prize for her musical achievements. More recently, in 2024, she was chosen to be the Composer-in-Association for the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Sweden for two seasons.

Music for Films and TV

Karen Tanaka also creates music for movies and television. In 2012, she was chosen for the Sundance Institute’s Composers Lab. This program helps composers learn how to write music for films from top Hollywood composers.

In 2016, she helped create the music for the BBC TV series Planet Earth II. She has also composed music for many short films, cartoons, and documentaries. One animated film she scored, called Sister, was shown at big film festivals. It was even nominated for an Academy Award in 2020 for Best Animated Short Film.

Her Music Around the World

Karen Tanaka's music is played by many famous groups and orchestras all over the world. These include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo. Dance companies, like the Nederlands Dans Theater, have also used her music for their performances.

She has been asked to write music by many important organizations. These include the Royal Academy of Music and the Juilliard School. Her music is published by well-known music companies like Chester Music and Schott Music. Today, Karen Tanaka lives in Los Angeles and teaches composition at the California Institute of the Arts.

Nature in Her Music

Karen Tanaka loves nature and cares about the environment. This passion inspires many of her musical pieces. Some of her works with nature-inspired titles include Questions of Nature, Frozen Horizon, Water and Stone, Dreamscape, Ocean, Silent Ocean, Tales of Trees, Water Dance, and Children of Light.

Types of Music She Writes

Karen Tanaka writes music for many different types of instruments and groups. Here are some examples of her major works:

Orchestral Music

Orchestral music is written for a large group of musicians playing instruments like violins, flutes, and trumpets.

• Anamorphose (1986) – for piano and orchestra
• Departure (1999–2000)
• Echo Canyon (1995)
• Guardian Angel (2000) – for clarinet, harp, percussion, and string orchestra
• Lost Sanctuary (2002)
• Urban Prayer (2003–04) – for cello and orchestra
• Water of Life (2012–13)

Chamber Music

Chamber music is written for a smaller group of instruments, usually played in a smaller room or "chamber."

• Always in my heart (1999) – for clarinet and piano
• At the grave of Beethoven (1999) – for string quartet (four string instruments)
• Dreamscape (2001) – for seven instruments
• Enchanted Forest (2013) – for horn and piano
• Frozen Horizon (1998) – for seven instruments
• Ocean (2003) – for violin and piano
• Silent Ocean (2005) – for trumpet and piano
• Water and Stone (1999) – for eight instruments

Piano and Harpsichord Music

This music is written specifically for piano or harpsichord, which is an older keyboard instrument.

• Blue Crystal (2014) – for piano
• Children of Light (1998–99) – for piano
• Crystalline (1988) – for piano
• Herb Garden (2005) – for piano played by four hands
• Lavender Field (2000) – for piano
• Our Planet Earth (2010–11) – for piano
• Water Dance (2008) – for piano
• The Zoo in the Sky (1994–95) – for piano

Solo Instrumental Music

These pieces are written for just one instrument, sometimes with electronic sounds.

• Aube (2020) – for cello, narration, and electronics
• Lilas (1988) – for cello
• Night Bird (1996) – for alto saxophone and electronics
• The Song of Songs (1996) – for cello and electronics
• Tales of Trees (2003) – for marimba

Electroacoustic Music

This type of music combines acoustic (real instrument) sounds with electronic sounds.

• Celestial Harmonics (1997)
• Inuit Voices (1997)
• Questions of Nature (1998)

Choral Music

Choral music is written for a choir, which is a group of singers.

• God is Love as Love is God (2009)
• Sleep Deeply (2018)
• Sleep My Child (2012)
• Wait for the Lord (2009)

Sound Design

Karen Tanaka has also created special sounds for places, like the "Opening Bell" for Daiichi Seimei Hall in 2000. She also created "Viva Suntory!" for Suntory Hall in 2010. These are like musical signatures for buildings.

Recordings of Her Music

Many of Karen Tanaka's musical works have been recorded and released on albums. This allows people all over the world to listen to her compositions. Some of her recorded works include Children of Light, Crystalline, Frozen Horizon, Night Bird, and Our Planet Earth. These recordings feature various talented musicians and orchestras performing her unique pieces.