Biography
Kitaro (喜多郎 Kitarō), originally named Masanori Takahashi (高橋 正則, Takahashi Masanori) and born on February 4, 1953, is a Japanese recording artist, composer, producer, and arranger renowned for his electronic instrumental music. He is widely recognized as a leading figure in new age music. Kitaro has won a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album with *Thinking of You* (1999), holding a record 16 nominations in this category, and also received a Golden Globe Award for his original score for *Heaven & Earth* (1993).
Born in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan, Kitaro graduated from Sahid University. After completing his studies, he moved to Tokyo to immerse himself in the music scene, where he discovered the synthesizer. His first synthesizer was analog, and he has expressed a strong preference for its sound over modern digital synthesizers.
Initially, Kitaro’s parents opposed his pursuit of a musical career. They arranged for him to work at a local company, but he left home without telling them to follow his passion. He supported himself through various part-time jobs, including cooking and civil service work, while composing music during the evenings.
In the early 1970s, Kitaro fully embraced keyboards and joined the Japanese band Far East Family Band, formed in 1965, touring internationally with them. During his time in Europe, he met Klaus Schulze, a German electronic musician and former member of Tangerine Dream, who produced two albums for the band and advised Kitaro on synthesizer techniques. In 1976, Kitaro left Far East Family Band and traveled across Asia, visiting countries such as China, Laos, Thailand, and India.
