Japanese Fluxus Pioneer Yasunao Tone Dies at 90, Leaving Legacy of Experimental Sound and Digital Innovation
Yasunao Tone, a renowned Japanese composer and experimental sound artist, passed away at the age of 90 due to complications related to aging. He was born in Tokyo in 1935 and pursued studies in Japanese literature at Chiba National University, where he delved into Dada and Surrealism. In 1961, he helped establish the experimental music group Group Ongaku. His fame escalated when George Maciunas released his graphic score Anagram for Strings in 1963, which was showcased at the inaugural Fluxus Festival in 1962. After relocating to New York in 1972, he worked with artists such as Allan Kaprow and created compositions for Merce Cunningham's Dance Company. Tone was a pioneer of paramedia techniques and is regarded as a forerunner of glitch music. In 2023, Artists Space hosted his first retrospective in the United States.
Key facts
- Yasunao Tone died at age 90 from age-related complications
- He was born in Tokyo in 1935
- Tone co-founded Group Ongaku in 1961 with Shuko Mizuno, Takehisa Kosugi, and Mieko Shiomi
- His graphic score Anagram for Strings was published in Fluxus Editions in 1963
- Tone moved to New York in 1972
- He composed music for Merce Cunningham's Dance Company alongside John Cage
- Tone created paramedia works using scratched CDs and digital disruptions
- His later projects included MP3 Deviations (2011) and AI Deviation (2016)
Entities
Artists
- Yasunao Tone
- George Maciunas
- Shuko Mizuno
- Takehisa Kosugi
- Mieko Shiomi
- Blondell Cummings
- Allan Kaprow
- Senga Nengudi
- Butch Morris
- Merce Cunningham
- John Cage
- Karen May Wai Plumptre
Institutions
- Artists Space
- Chiba National University
- Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
- Group Ongaku
- Fluxus Editions
- Fluxus Festival
- Merce Cunningham's Dance Company
- ArtAsiaPacific
Locations
- Tokyo
- Japan
- New York
- United States