Born in Chitose, Japan, Sato Matsui is a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow at The Juilliard School, where she also earned her MM in Composition. Matsui’s new tonalist style unites Japanese lyricism, urban American individualism, and delicate counterpoint.
With diverse repertory, Matsui’s music has been heard from coast to coast in the United States, as well as in Canada and Europe. Current commissions include a flute concerto for Stephanie Kwak, a VR production for the Beyond the Machines Festival, and a second opera in collaboration with Director Mikhaela Mahony. Matsui has worked extensively with choreographers and dancers at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, where she held residency in the summer of 2017.
Matsui earned her BA from Williams College, where she graduated with Highest Honors. She is the recipient of the Milton & Silvia Babbitt Scholarship, Cartwright Scholarship, Gretchaninoff Memorial Prize, Celia Ascher Doctoral Fellowship, and the King Doctoral Scholarship.