Toru Takao

Carillonist of Emmerich am Rhein, Co-founder of the Association of Carillon Art in Japan

Toru Takao is - together with his wife Katarzyna Takao-Piastowska - the carillonist of the St. Aldegundiskirche, Emmerich am Rhein (Germany). He studied carillon and campanology at the Utrecht Conservatory (Nederlandse Beiaardschool Amersfoort) with Arie Abbenes, Bernard Winsemius and Frans Haagen. In 2008 he received his Master of Music (MMus) degree. He participated in a number of international carillon competitions and won several prizes, notably 2nd prize in the Belgian "Queen Fabiola" competition in 2008 and 1st prize in the "NKV Carillon Competition" in the Netherlands in 2018 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Dutch Carillon Society.  Since 2017 Toru is a member of the German Carillon Players Association.  In 2019, together with Kazuyo Nakamura in Itami, Japan, Toru founded the "Association for Carillon Art in Japan" to activate existing carillons and establish carillon culture in Japan.  Toru is also active in maintaining cultural relations between Japan and European countries through carillon music.