Born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1981, Composer and conductor Yoshiaki Onishi’s music has been performed worldwide by such ensembles as JACK Quartet, Next Mushroom Promotion, Ensemble Intercontemporain, and Nieuw Ensemble. His music has been heard in Europe, Asia, and the United States. New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini called him “a composer who can draw such varied, eerily alluring sounds.” With his 2010 work Départ dans..., Onishi became the laureate of the Gaudeamus Prize 2011, one of the significant international prizes awarded to young composers.

As a conductor, Onishi is in great demand. The ensembles and orchestras he has conducted are Talea Ensemble, Wet Ink Ensemble, Yale Philharmonia, Iktus Percussion, Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble, and PMF Academy Ensemble, to name a few. He has closely collaborated with contemporary composers such as Annie Gosfield, Zosha Di Castri, Alec Hall, Curtis K. Hughes, Bryan Jacobs, Wang Lu, Kate Soper, and Matthew Ricketts. His interests in promoting contemporary music were featured in the Pacific Music Festival’s 20th year anniversary book.