Naomi Sato- Saxophones, Sho, Electronics

Tokyo born Sato's credits include 3rd prize at the International 'Gustav Bunke' Saxophone Competition (1999 in Hannover/Germany) , and placing as a semi-finalist in the 2nd International Adolphe Sax Competition (1998 in Dinant/Belgium).   In Holland she has played with Residentie Orkest (Den Haag), the Ives Ensemble(Zaandam), and was a member of the Amstel Saxophone Quartet, which has toured internationally.  She has also played in projects in the Ysbreker(Amsterdam), Casino du Luxembourg, and Tokyo Operacity.

She studied saxophone in Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music with Nobya Sugawa, during which time she played solo with Philharmonic Orchestra of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. She received her diploma in 1998 then went to study further at the Conservatory in Amsterdam with Arno Borenkamp, and did an exchange in Paris with Claude Delange.

She studied the Sho with Ko Ishikawa at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Since 2004 she has played regularly with the Nieuw Ensemble (Amsterdam) as a guest sho solist. She has also performed sho with Ives Ensemble, Nederlands Vocaal Labboratorium, East-West Ensemlbe in Munster, Germany and Fontana Mix Enslember in Bologna, Italy. She has also produced concerts featuring Japanese music in France, Denmark, Finland and Australia.

Naomi is also a composer, interested in mixing traditional Japanese instruments and elements with contemporary Western music, improvisation and electronics. In 2007 she worked in the young composers project at the Walter Maas Huis in Bilthoven, where she created the work "Light in the Dark."