Japanese composer and saxophonist. Ryo Noda, also Ryō Noda, born in Amagasaki, Japan, in 1948, has been hailed throughout the Western hemisphere for his perfect control, powerful avant-garde improvisations and innovative playing techniques. While he is a leading exponent of new Japanese music for the saxophone, his repertoire also includes Western music of the baroque, classical, and romantic periods. Noda was graduated from the Osaka College of Music as a saxophonist. He pursued advanced music studies at Northwestern University (Illinois) under Fred L. Hemke and at the Bordeaux Conservatory (France) under Jean-Marie Londeix. He was twice awarded the Osaka City Art Festival Prize and, in 1986, won the Osaka Prefecture Gold Award; he also received the Grand Prix of the Yamaha Electone Festival in 1989. Noda's work as a composer was recognized in 1973 when he was awarded the SACEM Composition Prize. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.