Akira Takaoka is a leading composer of contemporary classical music and music theorist in Japan. He has received many commissions and his compositions have been performed at major festivals worldwide such as NYCEMF, ISCM World Music Days, ICMC, SEAMUS, and SMC in London, Copenhagen, Venice, Florence, New York, Tokyo, etc. His music combines computer technologies, live performance, and visual arts, light art in particular. He also organizes international festivals of contemporary classical and electroacoustic music in Tokyo and other major cities in Japan. He is currently a professor of music at J.F. Oberlin University, Japan, as well as a lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts, Temple University Japan Campus, and Chuo University in Tokyo. He is also frequently invited to give lectures internationally. His research on atonal pitch organization, algorithmic composition, and music cognition is internationally recognized at major conferences such as ICMPC, SMPC, and ICMC. He received a BA and an MA in philosophy from Keio University in Tokyo and an MA and a PhD in music from Columbia University, where he was a Fulbright scholar. E-mail: MyFirstName (at) music (dot) columbia (dot) edu