Yoichi Hiraoka: His Artistic Life and His Influence on the Art Of
YOICHI HIRAOKA: HIS ARTISTIC LIFE AND HIS INFLUENCE ON THE ART OF XYLOPHONE PERFORMANCE Akiko Goto, B.A., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2013 APPROVED: Mark Ford, Major Professor Eugene M. Corporon, Committee Member Christopher Deane, Committee Member John Holt, Chair of the Division of Instrumental Studies Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music James Scott, Dean of the College of Music Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Goto, Akiko. Yoichi Hiraoka: His Artistic Life and His Influence on the Art of Xylophone Performance. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), August 2013, 128 pp., 31 figures, bibliography, 86 titles. Yoichi Hiraoka was an amazing Japanese xylophone player who had significant influence on the development of the xylophone as a solo instrument. The purpose of this dissertation is to collect and record evidence of Mr. Hiraoka, to examine his distinguished efforts to promote the xylophone, to investigate his influences on keyboard percussion literature, and to contribute to the development of the art of keyboard percussion performance as a whole. This dissertation addresses Yoichi Hiraoka’s artistic life, his commissioned pieces, and his influence on the art of xylophone performance. Analyses of two of his most influential commissioned works, Alan Hovhaness’ Fantasy on Japanese Wood Prints and Toshiro Mayuzumi’s Concertino for Xylophone Solo and Orchestra, are also included to illustrate the art of the xylophone, and to explain why Hiraoka did not play all of his commissioned works. Copyright 2013 by Akiko Goto ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to sincerely thank my committee members, Mark Ford, Eugene Corporon, and Christopher Deane, for their continuous guidance and encouragement.
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