KEN KUNITA
Ken Kunita
A Japanese national based in the Netherlands, working in the classical music and IT industries.
Member of the independent maker space Het Batavierhuis, music publisher Muse Press LLC and Japanese IT company BlueMeme Inc.
Born in Hyogo, Japan, resident in the Netherlands. He graduated Cum Laude with the Bachelor of Bass Clarinet at Codarts (Rotterdam Conservatory) in 2016. He then graduated from the same conservatory with a Master's degree in clarinet in 2020.
He studied clarinet with Kazuo Fujii, Miho Sato, Nancy Braithwaite, Julien Hervé and Bruno Bonansea, and bass clarinet with Davide Lattuada, Henri Bok, Romke-Jan Wijmenga and Fie Schouten.
In addition to performances hosted by the Dutch National Opera and the Gaudeamus International Music Week, he has performed with the NJO (Netherlands National Youth Orchestra), the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mannheim Philharmonic Orchestra, and others. He appeared at the 30th Gergiev Festival with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Valery Gergiev in excerpts from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and Ride of the Valkyries, as well as in the world premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina's Oratorio.
In 2018, he joined Muse Press LLC, a music publishing company founded in the same year by three of its members. Muse Press is a unique publishing house publishing rarely available historical works as well as works by current composer-pianists. Its unique approach and high-quality scores are highly regarded by the media and music-related organizations in Japan and abroad.
Since 2020, he has been a member of Batavierhuis, established by the cultural foundation Droom en Daad, which provides him with facilities such as a recording studio, rehearsal rooms, chamber music hall, and offices.
In 2021, he joined BlueMeme Inc. (TSE G: 4069), the only Japanese company specializing in low-code technology that can automate engineers' work and agile methods. As the corporate philosophy of using the latest (computer) technology to "create new value, change the norm and evolve culture" directly aligns with the original meaning and history of "art", he positions his work at the company as an artistic movement and is mainly engaged in alliance work with overseas companies.
Discography
IN HONOUR OF HORÁK
It was Czech bass clarinettist Josef Horák (1931-2005) who brought recognition to the bass clarinet as a solo instrument. On 24 March 1955 he gave the world's first bass clarinet recital, and with his free style of playing, he revolutionized people's perception of the bass clarinet. This album pays tribute to his pioneering efforts to explore the possibilities of the bass clarinet and aims to raise awareness of lesser-known bass clarinet works.
Bass Clarinet: Ken Kunita
Piano: Alfonso González
Published by Muse Press LLC,
Het Batavierhuis is an independent makerspace and incubator for entrepreneurial artists with the aim of further developing Rotterdam's talent and enriching the cultural (music) life of Rotterdam.
Batavierhuis shows that Rotterdam takes its artists seriously and is willing to invest in talent by offering the most favourable conditions possible. There is room to experiment and inspire, there is freedom and autonomy. We have the Rotterdam mentality and are as diverse as the city itself.
Ken was selected as one of the exclusive members in 2020. He spends most of his time in the building, utilizing the offices, practice rooms, and concert hall provided by the house.
Muse Press LLC is a unique Janaese publishing house publishing rarely available historical works as well as works by current composer-pianists. Its unique approach and high-quality scores are highly regarded by the media and music-related organizations in Japan and abroad.
Ken joined the company in 2018 when the publishing house was founded and works remotely with the two founders in Japan.
