Composer and conductor born and raised in Tokyo. Matsushita graduated at the top of his class from the Kunitachi College of Music, Department of Composition, and went on to study chorus conducting under the late prof. Reményi János, Budaoest, Hungary.
He is currently the conductor and artistic director of 14 choirs, which are often invited to perform in Japan, Europe, America, Canada, and Asia. They have also achieved excellent showings in the choral circuit and won awards in international competitions.
A prolific composer and arranger, Matsushita’s works are performed around the world. His compositions vary widely, ranging from works based on traditional Japanese music, Masses, motets, to etudes for choirs.
His works are published in Japan by Edition KAWAI, Ongaku no tomo sha Corp., Pana Musica, and overseas by Carus-Verlag Stuttgart (Germany), SULASOL (Finland), Annie Bank Edition (the Netherlands) Porfiri & Horváth Publishers (Germany) and Santa Barbara Music Publishing (USA) among others.
Besides conducting and composing, Matsushita is also an active workshop clinician and lecturer both within and outside Japan. In recent years, he has adjudicated at the Tolosa International Choral Competition (Spain) , the Florilège Vocal de Tours (France), the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition (Hungary), the Krakow International Choir Compitition and the Wroclaw Choir Festival (Poland), the Seghizzi International Choral Competition and Musica Sacra a Roma and the Rimini International Choir Competition (Italy), the Harald Andersén Choir Competition (Finland), the Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging and Arts Presentation (Singapore), the Hong Kong International Youth & Children’s Choir Festival (Hong Kong), the Busan Choral Festival Choral and Composition Competition (South Korea), the Musica Ficta International Competition for Choral Composition (Italy), the Japan International Choral Composition Competition (Japan) and so on.
His choir The Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo and he was invited to the National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA as a guest choir and a panelist for Composer’s speak out, moreover as a lecturer for reading session in February 2015.
He is a member of the artistic committee of the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona 2017.
Most recently, he was invited to Bach Academy Stuttgart as a lecturer for workshop about his works in March 2016, at the same time his new work “De profundis clamavi” was performed by KammerChor Saarbrückn as a world premiere in Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart.
In 2005, he became the first Asian to receive the“Robert Edler Prize for Choral Music” in recognition of his outstanding achievements worldwide in conducting, composing, performance, and education within the field of choral music.
He is currently the Artistic director of the Karuizawa International Choral Festival and Tokyo Choral Alliance KOYUKAI, a member of the World Choir Council, the vice president of the Tokyo Choral Association, the vice president of the Tokyo branch of the Japan Choral Association, as well as a member of the Japan Choral Directors Association, the International Kodaly Society, and a representative of the Workshop of the Choral Expression. Furthermore he is a member of Japan Composers & Arrangers Association, Guest conductor for Beijing University Mixed Choir（People's Republic of China）.
He is currently the conductor and artistic director of 14 choirs, which are often invited to perform in Japan, Europe, America, Canada, and Asia. They have also achieved excellent showings in the choral circuit and won awards in international competitions.
A prolific composer and arranger, Matsushita’s works are performed around the world. His compositions vary widely, ranging from works based on traditional Japanese music, Masses, motets, to etudes for choirs.
His works are published in Japan by Edition KAWAI, Ongaku no tomo sha Corp., Pana Musica, and overseas by Carus-Verlag Stuttgart (Germany), SULASOL (Finland), Annie Bank Edition (the Netherlands) Porfiri & Horváth Publishers (Germany) and Santa Barbara Music Publishing (USA) among others.
Besides conducting and composing, Matsushita is also an active workshop clinician and lecturer both within and outside Japan. In recent years, he has adjudicated at the Tolosa International Choral Competition (Spain) , the Florilège Vocal de Tours (France), the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition (Hungary), the Krakow International Choir Compitition and the Wroclaw Choir Festival (Poland), the Seghizzi International Choral Competition and Musica Sacra a Roma and the Rimini International Choir Competition (Italy), the Harald Andersén Choir Competition (Finland), the Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging and Arts Presentation (Singapore), the Hong Kong International Youth & Children’s Choir Festival (Hong Kong), the Busan Choral Festival Choral and Composition Competition (South Korea), the Musica Ficta International Competition for Choral Composition (Italy), the Japan International Choral Composition Competition (Japan) and so on.
His choir The Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo and he was invited to the National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA as a guest choir and a panelist for Composer’s speak out, moreover as a lecturer for reading session in February 2015.
He is a member of the artistic committee of the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona 2017.
Most recently, he was invited to Bach Academy Stuttgart as a lecturer for workshop about his works in March 2016, at the same time his new work “De profundis clamavi” was performed by KammerChor Saarbrückn as a world premiere in Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart.
In 2005, he became the first Asian to receive the“Robert Edler Prize for Choral Music” in recognition of his outstanding achievements worldwide in conducting, composing, performance, and education within the field of choral music.
He is currently the Artistic director of the Karuizawa International Choral Festival and Tokyo Choral Alliance KOYUKAI, a member of the World Choir Council, the vice president of the Tokyo Choral Association, the vice president of the Tokyo branch of the Japan Choral Association, as well as a member of the Japan Choral Directors Association, the International Kodaly Society, and a representative of the Workshop of the Choral Expression. Furthermore he is a member of Japan Composers & Arrangers Association, Guest conductor for Beijing University Mixed Choir（People's Republic of China）.
