Kunihiko Hashimoto

Japanese Classical Composer and Violinist

Kunihiko or Qunihico Hashimoto (1904–1949) was a Japanese composer, violinist, conductor, and music educator. He studied violin and conducting at the Tokyo Music School in the 1920s, and later became active as a composer and arranger. After gaining a reputation of the excellent teacher, Hashimoto was appointed as professor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1933. Some of his students included Akio Yashiro, Yasushi Akutagawa, Ikuma Dan, and Toshiro Mayuzumi. Hashimoto had been living in Vienna from 1934 to 1937, studying with Egon Wellesz as a Japanese government scholar. During that time he established artistic connection with Alban Berg, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter. Before returning to Japan, Kunihiko also visited United States and studied with Arnold Schoenberg in Los Angeles.