Mari Takano

 is a Japanese composer, pianist, essayist, and teacher. Takano's work, and musical voice, has been recognized as among the most distinctive to be found amid Japanese composers of the "post-Takemitsu generation".
Education.
Takano completed four years of music instruction at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in her native Tokyo, including a composition course with Mutsuo Shishido and, in 1983, lessons with Yoriaki Matsudaira and Jo Kondo. From 1983, Takano began to study in Germany with Brian Ferneyhough at the Musikhochschule Freiburg (Freiburg University of Music), and in 1986 Takano had private lessons with Morton Feldman. After taking her diploma in Freiburg, Takano enrolled in the Hochschule für Musik und Theater (University of Music and Theatre, Hamburg) with Gyorgy Ligeti, continuing there until 1994; she was awarded her MA under Ligeti in 1989. Takano's initial reputation in Europe was made while she served as pianist, keyboard player and composer with the contemporary music ensemble Hamburg Consort—later "Chaosma"—in which she participated with fellow Ligeti students Manfred Stahnke, Hans Peter Reutter, Hubertus Dreyer and Sid Corbett.
Career.
Takano resettled in Japan permanently in 1994, and since then Takano has taught at the Shobi Conservatory in Tokyo, the Toho Gakuen School of Music and, from 2004, at the Joshibi Daigaku. Takano has also conducted, and participated in, music courses in the United States, including a master class given at New York University at the invitation of Julia Wolfe in 2009.
Takano credits Ligeti with helping to find her personal sense of direction as a composer. Another important proponent of Takano's work is BIS Records' head Robert von Bahr, who issued her first album, "Women's Paradise", and commissioned her to write a concerto for flautist Sharon Bezaly. She has had works commissioned by the city of Hamburg (1993, 1995), the twelfth Interlink Festival Tokyo (1995) and the Kanagawa Arts Festival (1997) (for singer Barbara Hendricks). Several Takano premieres have been held in the United States, including "Full Moon" (2009) for New York-based violinist Mari Kimura and LigAlien IV (2010) for the Northshore Saxophone Trio, based at Northwestern University in Chicago. 
Takano has also created works to commissions from mandolinist Akihiro Fukaya, Koto player Teiko Kikuchi, Hichiriki player Hitomi Nakamura, saxophonist Masahito Sugihara and pianist Ellen Ugelvik.