Louis Kihara (木原塁)

Born in Tokyo in 1975, he graduated from Senzoku Gakuen Junior College's Music Department. He majored in wind instruments and jazz, studying trumpet under Teiji Tomita and Tomonao Hara. While still a student, he honed his skills in performance and teaching, and began working as an arranger in earnest in 2000. He primarily composes popular arrangements for wind and percussion instruments for wind ensembles and big bands, but also handles a wide range of other projects, including band arrangements, string arrangements, and track production. He has provided works for THE WIND WAVE, Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Siena Wind Orchestra, and Koedo Wind Ensemble, among others. While he has published numerous works both in Japan and abroad, most of these are popular arrangements, making him a unique wind ensemble arranger. His diverse activities currently span not only composing and arranging, but also conducting, teaching, and performing. He also actively engages with and educates music enthusiasts.