is a Japanese pianist, composer, conductor and musical producer signed under Being Inc. He is Pops Executive Producer in the Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo orchestra.
Biography Ikurō started learning piano and composing from an early age. He studied composition under Yoshio Hasegawa, Akira Kitamura, Hajime Kaburagi, Kiyohiko Kishima, and Tsuyoshi Yanagisawa; piano under Shihoko Uno, Kazuko Yasukawa, Michiko Jackson; conducting under Shigenobu Yamaoka and Konstantin D. Crimets. In 1976, Ikurō graduated from "Nihon University College of Art". In 1980s, his name appeared in the credit list of the various albums of the artist as arranger and keyboardist. At the beginning of 90's, he would focus his career more into composing and arranging music for the video gameseries Wizardry. In 1996, he was member of the Japanese band W's as keyboardist, composer and arranger.
From 1998, he has been active as an orchestral conductor and arranger for symphonic live series started firstly for Akina Nakamori, in the recent years by public well known for Mai Kuraki, Aska and Luna Sea. Since the 2000s, he started to release his original albums under subtitles "Densetsu" and "Eternal Animation Healing" music; composed soundtracks for number of domestic television series and theatrical movies in Shanghai, Singapore and Japan. His original works have been well received by critics.
In 2002, Ikuro's instrumental piece "Deep Sea" was used as background music for the South Korean television series Winter Sonata. He performed it 5 years later, in 2007 at Seoul Women's Plaza.
The music in the 2008's movie Painted Skin has received 2 Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Original Film Score and Best Original Film Song (as for the first time in the history of Japanese music), and 1 nomination on Changchun Film Festival for the Best Music.
In 2020, he launched one-day live show "KURO Fujiwara New Year's Piano Live 2020 "Yuki no Hana" held in Tokyo with the vocal guests Yumi Shizukusa from the same agency. Before Shizukusa's retirement, it was marked to be her final live performance to be seen. In 2021, Ikuro released his first vocal recording song under EP title "Yokohama Star Dust" in digital format.
Discography As of 2023, he has released 17 studio albums, 3 digital albums, 4 compilation album and 1 DVD.
Studio albums Release dateTitleCD code1st2002Mizu no Densetsu (水の伝説)TECD-254732nd2002Kaze no Densetsu (風の伝説)TECD-254743rd2002Hana no Densetsu (花の伝説)TECD-254754th2002Tsuki no Densetsu (月の伝説)TECD-254725th2002Ai no Densetsu (愛の伝説)TECD-2547466th2002Eternal Love Animation Healing MusicMJCG-801077th2002Eternal Impression Animation Healing MusicMJCG-801088th2002Eternal Courage Animation Healing MusicMJCG-801099th2003Kino (КИНО)BNTM-310th2004Machi (町)YRCN-1103511th2008CollageYRCN-1105312th2009Sutekina Kyuujitsu (素敵な休日)TFC1991~199313th2013Quatre saisons series Scénario de la saison: AutomneJBCZ-900114th2014Quatre saisons series Scénario de la saison: HiverJBCZ-900215th2014Quatre saisons series Scénario de la saison: PrintempsJBCZ-900916th2014Quatre saisons series Scénario de la saison: ÉtéJBCZ-901017th2014Symphonic Luna Sea: RebootJBCZ-9029
Compilation albums Release dateTitleCode1st200510nin Pianist (10人のピアニスト)OWCP-20012nd2005Tenderness～best works～YRCN-110483rd200510nin Pianist Ivory (10人のピアニスト)B000BR2NNY4th2005Feel pianoB000ACZX6O5th2005Yorokobi no uta: Toubeidon to noumin-tachi (よろこびのうた～藤兵衛ドンと農民たち)B000ACZX6O
Digital EP Release dateTitle1st2021IKURO Fujiwara SELECTION: Mon Cheri2nd2021Yokohama Star Dust3rd2023Happy Birthday: Taisetsuna Kimi he
Movie soundtracks compositions Dear Friends (2007) Painted Skin (2008) Yatterman (2009) Nisesatsu (2009) Omuraisu (2012) Legend of the Naga Pearls (2017) Mural(2022)
Television series compositions 69 sixty nine (2004) Curtain Call (2004) Itoshii Kimi he (愛し君へ) (2004) Onaji Tsuki wo Miteiru (同じ月を見ている) (2005) Cao Cao (2011–2012) Noble Aspirations (2016)
Game soundtracks composition Wizardry: The First Episode - Suffering of the Queen (Game Boy,1991) Wizardry: The Second Episode - Curse of the Ancient Emperor (Game Boy,1992) Wizardry: The Third Episode - Scripture of the Dark (Game Boy,1993) Tenchi Muyo!: Toko Muyo (Sega Saturn,1997) Wizardry Dimguil Original Sound Track (1998) Dog of Bay (PlayStation 2, 2000)
DVD Fujisan Shinshō VOL. 1: Fujiwara Ikurō healing version (富士山心象 VOL.1 藤原いくろう ヒーリング・バージョン) (2002) Yoshiki Symphonic Concert 2002with Tokyo City Phillharmonic Orchestra (2002) Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 1- (2013) Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 2- (2014) Mai Kuraki Symphonic Live -Opus 3- (2015) Ai to Yuuki no 25 Shuunen Linen Fire Emblem San (愛と勇気の25周年記念 ファイアーエムブレム祭) (2016) Piano Anthology: Melody of Luna Sea (2016) Live Movie from Billboard Classics 20th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Premium Symphonic Concert 2019 (2021) - released as part of the album Unconditional Love as Limited B version with DVD disc. Mai Kuraki Premium Symphonic Concert 2022 (2023)
Note: Aside of Fujisan Shinshō, Ikuro is filmed and credited in the footages as a conductor and orchestral arranger.
List of contribution to artist Akina Nakamori Yoshie Kashiwabara Shonentai Kaori Kozai Marcia Kazue Otsuru Mai Kuraki Mariko Tone Hiroko Moriguchi Harumi Inoue Hiroko Kasahara Hiroko Kurumizawa Masatoshi Ono
List of produced artist Listed for symphonic concerts Akina Nakamori (1998) Asato Shizuki (2001) Mayo Okamoto (2001) Yoshiki (2002) Miki Imai (2004) Aska (2005, 2008, 2018, 2022) Kirito (2006) Shinichi Mori (2006) Ayaka Hirahara (2007) Ichirou Mizuki (2009) Garnet Crow (2010Garnet Crow (2010). Parallel Universe (CD-DVD Album; Footage Credit). Garnet Crow. Japan: Giza Studio. GZCA-5230.) Mai Kuraki (2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023) Luna Sea (2015) Koda Kumi (2022) Tetsuya Komuro (2022) Beyooooonds (2023) Hitomi Yaida (2023)
References
External links Official website Official Blog site (webarchived) Official Youtube Channel Official Weibo account IMDB profile