Hijiri Kuwano

Hijiri Kuwano (桑野聖) is a Japanese violinist, composer and arranger.

Hijiri began taking violin lessons at age 6 and studied under Yonosuke Ishii, Shizuko Ishii and Chikashi Tanaka. While attending Tokyo University of the Arts, he performed as a guest concert master at Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra.

Before graduating from the university, he became interested in playing non-classical music and started performing with Toshihito Nakanishi, who inspired him in many ways. Hijiri also started his career as a composer when he produced an album published together with a photobook by Kenji Ishikawa, Moonlight Blue. Hijiri handled string arrangements for albums and movies for Kome Kome Club and started his career as an arranger as well.

Hijiri worked on recordings, concerts with various artists, movies and video games as a soloist and with "Hijiri Kuwano strings group". He is credited in Whisper of the Heart, Shall We Dance, Nobody Knows, Kind of Love, Melody of Oblivion, Good Luck Girl!, Final Fantasy XIII and numerous other productions as a performer, composer and arranger.

He is also known as an original violin player for the battle theme "Blinded by Light" in Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII (composed by Masashi Hamauzu). He works closely with Hamauzu and Imeruat (Masashi Hamauzu and Mina) as a supporting artist. He toured with Imeruat to Europe and Hong Kong and performed several pieces on "α" Clock: World Time, Sony Global website (composed by Masashi Hamauzu).

Produced/co-produced albums

 * Fiddler's Philosophy（東方聞弦録), solo album）
 * "Moonlight Blue" = Gekkōyoku (月光浴), concept album with the photographer Kenji Ishikawa
 * TBS Animation "Melody of Oblivion" (忘却の旋律) soundtrack
 * Nippon TV drama "Cinderella never sleeps" (シンデレラは眠らない) soundtrack
 * Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress (TV)