Sanaé Kanda, a multi-faceted musician from Kyoto, Japan, has established herself as a distinguished pianist, composer, arranger, and educator. Dr. Kanda is well-known for her performances as both a solo pianist and an accompanist, having played recitals across the United States and Japan. Her collaborations span a diverse range of instruments including voice, strings, woodwinds, and brass, showcasing her versatility across various styles and genres. She is also an integral part of the ensemble Keys and Brass.
As a prolific composer, Dr. Kanda is affiliated with ASCAP and has composed a wide array of pieces, notably for tuba and piano, chamber orchestra, band, euphonium, trombone quartet, and brass quintets, among others. Her works, mostly published by Lami Musicworks, have gained significant recognition. Two of her compositions for euphonium and piano were selected as contest pieces for the 2014 International Women’s Brass Conference. Additionally, she has been a recurring composer in residence, notably at the Cosmopolitan Tuba Euphonium Workshop for seven consecutive years from 2006-2012, and at the MMI - Tuba Euphonium Academy from 2014-2019.
Dr. Kanda's role as the primary composer and arranger for INNOVATA, a revolutionary brass and percussion group, has brought her critical acclaim. Her debut brass composition, "Karen," dedicated to trumpeter Karen Antonio-Muenzinger and performed by INNOVATA, was featured on their first CD, "Brass a la carte," under the Stillwater Digital label. Between 2011 and 2012, she recorded two compilation albums featuring many of her compositions for the first time.
For more information and to contact Dr. Kanda directly, visit her website at www.sanaekanda.com