Kurahei Sato (1900-1986)

Japanese Virtuoso Tubist and Teacher

Kurahei Sato (1900-1986)

Kurahei Sato was born in Nigata City in 1900. He joined the Japanese Navy in 1917 to become a member of the band and play the tuba. Using a Navy Scholarship, Sato joined the “Tokyo Ongahu Gakko” (known today as the Tokyo Institute of Fine Arts). After graduation, he returned to the Navy Band and played in silent movie theaters. In 1931, he accepted an offer from Hidemaro Kono, conductor of the Shin-Kokyo-Gakudan, today’s NHK Philharmonic, to join the Philharmonic. In 1956, Sato joined the faculty of the Musashino College of Music. He retired from the NHK Philharmonic in 1958 and became an inspector for the Nippon Philharmonic Orchestra. Sato performed the first tuba concert in Japan during the year 1965. After retiring from the Musashino College of Music, he enjoyed playing string bass in the Saitama Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra. Sato often gave free music lessons to students preparing for entrance auditions to the college of music. Sato was regarded as one of the finest and most respected tubists in Japan.

-T.U.B.A. Membership Roster 1988 (Vol. 15 No. 5)