- Born
- Paul Seiko Chihara was born in Seattle, Washington in 1938. He received his doctorate degree (D.M.A.) from Cornell University in 1965 as a student of Robert Palmer. Mr. Chihara also studied with the renowned pedagogue Nadia Boulanger in Paris, Ernst Pepping in Berlin, and Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony. With Toru Takemitsu, he was composer-in-residence at the Marlboro Music Festival in 1971. Chihara is currently on the faculty of U.C.L.A. and was the first composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Neville Marriner, Conductor.
Mr. Chihara's prize-winning concert works have been performed in most major cities and arts centers in the U.S. and Europe. His numerous commissions and awards include those from The Lili Boulanger Memorial Fund, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Fulbright Fellowship, the Aaron Copland Fund, and National Endowment of the Arts, as well as from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Active in the ballet world; Mr. Chihara was composer-in-residence at the San Francisco Ballet from 1973-1886. While there, he wrote many trailblazing works, including Shin-ju (based on "the lover's suicide" plays by great Japanese dramatist Chikamatsu), as well as the first full-length America ballet, The Tempest.
In addition to his many concert works, Mr. Chihara has composed scores for over 90 motion pictures and television series. he has worked with such luminaries as directors Sidney Lumet, Louis Malle, Michael Ritchie, and Arthur Penn. His movie credits include "Prince of the City", "The Morning After" and "Crossing Delancy". His works for television include "China Beach, Noble House "," Brave New World and "100 Centre Street". Mr. Chihara also served as music supervisor at Buena Vista Pictures (Walt Disney Co,). Also active in the New York musical theater world, Mr. Chihara served as musical consultant and arranger for Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, and was the composer for James Clavell's Shogun, the Musical.
- IMDb mini biography by: Valerie Eckert, eckertv@rider.edu
- In Chihara's music he frequently uses his trademark chord which is built using note D2, D3, A3, D4, F sharp 4, A4, B flat 4, C5, and D flat 5. He also uses the word "willow" in many of his choral works because it is the one word that has the same meaning in all languages, to weep.
- On the faculty of the UCLA Music Department.
- Composer-in-residence at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. Worked with The Westminster Singers for a one week intensive choral program.
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