SHIMIZU Yasuaki
Born 1954 in Shizuoka Prefecture (Japan). Composer and saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu’s musical explorations range from classical to free improvisation. Renowned for his groundbreaking interpretations of J.S. Bach, Shimizu also collaborates on video, multimedia and dance projects, and scores music for television and film. His career took off in the 1970s as his saxophone playing gained notice. In 1983 he launched the project Yasuaki Shimizu & Saxophonettes, which has since become the focus of his recording activities. From 1985 through 1991 he based himself in Paris and London, recording three albums with a host of international artists. His acclaimed Bach recordings "Cello Suites 1.2.3" (1996) and "Cello Suites 4.5.6" (1999) – marked the first-ever rendition for tenor saxophone of the "Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello", and in 1997 he released the Japan Record Award-winning album "Bach Box". In 2006 he relaunched the Saxophonettes as a saxophone quintet. Their latest album "Pentatonica" (2007) is a collection of original compositions based on the pentatonic scale. In February 2010, Shimizu reaffirmed his passion for Bach by premiering in Tokyo the world’s first saxophone/double bass arrangement of Bach’s "Goldberg Variations".

Carl STONE
One of the pioneers of live computer music, Carl Stone has been hailed by the Village Voice as "the king of sampling" and "one of the best composers living (in the USA) today." He has used computers in live performance since 1986. Stone was born in 1953 in Los Angeles and now divides his time between California and Japan. He studied composition at the California Institute of the Arts with Morton Subotnick and James Tenney, and has composed electro-acoustic music almost exclusively since 1972. His works have been performed in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and the Northeast Africa. In addition to his schedule of performance, composition and touring, he is on the faculty of the Information Media Technology Department, School of Information Science and Technology at Chukyo University in Nagoya. Stone's music has been used by numerous theater directors, filmmakers and choreographers including Hiroshi Koike (Pappa Tarahumara), Akira Kasai, Bill T. Jones and Blondell Cummings. Musical collaborations include those with Yuji Takahashi, Kazue Sawai, Aki Takahashi, Yasuaki Shimizu, Sarah Cahill, Wu Wei, Haco, Samm Bennett, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Michiko Akao, Stelarc, z'ev, Tosha Meisho, Otomo Yoshihide, Min Xiao-Fen and Mineko Grimmer.