# Kitarō

> musician, composer, record producer, arranger

**Wikidata**: [Q273652](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q273652)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitarō)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/kitaro

## Summary
Kitarō, also known as Masanori Takahashi, is a Japanese musician, composer, record producer, and arranger who began his professional work in 1975. He is a prominent figure in new age, ambient, and electronica music, serving as a keyboardist, guitarist, and film score composer. His contributions to the music industry have been recognized with a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

## Biography
- Nationality: Japan
- Known for: New age music, ambient music, electronica, film score composition
- Employer(s): Domo Music Group
- Field(s): Music, Film Scoring

## Contributions
Kitarō's career spans multiple roles within the music industry, beginning with his work period start in 1975. As a composer, he acts as an author of music in various forms, specifically contributing to the new age, ambient, and electronica genres. His work as a film score composer has garnered critical acclaim, resulting in a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. Additionally, his recordings have achieved high standards in the New Age category, earning him a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. He also functions as a record producer, overseeing the management of music recordings, and as a music arranger, creating arrangements for musical compositions.

## FAQs
**What is Kitarō's real name?**
His birth name is Masanori Takahashi, which is also written as Takahashi Masanori. He is professionally known as Kitarō or Kitarou.

**What instruments does Kitarō play?**
He is a musician who performs as a keyboardist, playing keyboard instruments, and as a guitarist, playing the guitar.

**What awards has Kitarō won?**
He has been honored with a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

**What type of music is Kitarō known for?**
He is known for new age music, a genre of popular music, as well as ambient music and electronica.

**When did Kitarō start his music career?**
His professional work period began in 1975.

## Why They Matter
Kitarō holds significance in the music industry as a multi-instrumentalist and composer who helped define the new age and electronica genres. His receipt of the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album places him among the recognized quality artists in that specific musical field. Furthermore, his achievement in winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score underscores his ability to translate musical composition into successful cinematic soundtracks. His work, which bridges the gap between ambient music and electronic-based genres, has influenced the landscape of modern instrumental music since the mid-1970s.

## Notable For
- Grammy Award for Best New Age Album recipient.
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score recipient.
- Professional career beginning in 1975.
- Contributions to the new age music genre (inception 1960s).
- Contributions to the ambient music genre (inception 1967).
- Contributions to the electronica genre (inception 1991).
- Roles as a record producer and music arranger.
- Nationality: Japanese.

## Body
### Identity and Nationality
Kitarō is a human and a member of the species Homo sapiens. He is a national of the island country of Japan located in East Asia. Throughout his career, he has been known by various aliases, including Kitaro, Kitarou, Masanori Takahashi, and Takahashi Masanori. His official presence is maintained through the Domo Music Group website.

### Professional Roles and Career
Kitarō's professional work period commenced in 1975. He is defined by several professional roles within the music industry. As a musician, he composes, conducts, or performs music. Specifically, he works as a composer, acting as an author of music in any form. He is also a record producer, an individual who oversees and manages the recording of an artist's music. Additionally, he serves as a music arranger, a musician who creates arrangements, and a film score composer, a profession dedicated to creating music for film.

### Musical Genres and Instruments
His work is categorized under several specific music genres. He is associated with new age music, a genre of popular music that originated in the 1960s. He is also linked to ambient music, a genre that began in 1967, and electronica, a broad group of electronic-based music genres that started in 1991. In terms of performance, Kitarō is a keyboardist, playing keyboard instruments, and a guitarist, playing the guitar.

### Awards and Recognition
Kitarō has received significant recognition for his musical output. He is a recipient of the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album, an honor presented to recording artists for quality New Age music albums which was established in 1987. He has also been awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, highlighting his success in film composition. These accolades reflect his status as a notable figure in both the recording and film music industries.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. datos.bne.es
3. Integrated Authority File
4. International Standard Name Identifier
5. MusicBrainz
6. BnF authorities
7. CiNii Research
8. IMDb
9. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
10. Hebrew Wikipedia
11. Quora
12. The Movie Database
13. YouTube API