Japanese composer
Musical artist
Kentaro Sato (佐藤 賢太郎, Satō Kentarō, born 12 May 1981), aka Ken-P, is a composer/conductor/orchestrator/clinician of media music (Film/TV/Game) and concert music (Symphonic and Choral). His works have been broadcast, performed, and recorded in North and South America, Asia, and Europe by well-known groups including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 2005, he was appointed a resident composer/assistant conductor of the Torrance Symphony. He is also a frequent guest conductor and lecturer for various workshops and reading sessions on choral music and composition/orchestration around the world.
Sato was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, known as the city of music and instruments. He holds a Master of Music in Conducting (choral emphasis) with Distinction and a Bachelor of Music in Media and Commercial Writing from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In addition to his degree in Music, he also holds degree in Cinema from Santa Monica College.
Musical style
His choral works, especially a cappella works, are full of rich and colorful harmony with sense of movement provided by individually moving vocal lines within closely voiced harmony. His works for symphony usually have bright and brilliant orchestration with clear sense of melody which is reflection of experience as a composer/orchestrator in Hollywood.
Awards and honors
- Winner of the 25th Anniversary Composition Contest hosted by the Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester, MN (2008).
- 2nd Prize of the 2008 Singing City Choral Composition Contest
- Recipient of the 2006 ASCAP Foundation David Rose Award from the 2006 ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop.
- Winner of The 2005 Raymond W. Brock Memorial Composition Contest hosted by Winner of ACDA, American Choral Directors Association
- Winner of the 26th Annual Choral Composition Contest presented by Ithaca College and Theodore Presser Company for the performance of his "How Do I Love You?" by the West Genesee High School Chorale, led by Anthony Alvaro in 2005.
- The 2nd Prize of the GPO Orchestration Competition (2005)
- 2004-2005 Outstanding bachelor's degree Graduate Award in Music from California State University, Northridge (2005)
- The 3rd Prize of the 5th Enterbrain Game Contest for Original Music (2001)
- The Grand Prize of the 2nd Omnibus Town Award (2000)
