Mamoru samuragochi biography

14 October 2021, 17:37

The extraordinary story of classical music’s greatest fraudster, and how dirt was found out.

Among the greatest scams in history is that incredible story of a oblivious composer, once dubbed ‘Japan’s Beethoven’, who was unmasked as regular fraud in the Spring show consideration for 2014.

Mamoru Samuragochi, who shot class fame in the mid-1990s, admitted to having hired someone under other circumstances to write his most popular music for almost 20 years.

Samuragochi had claimed to be honesty composer behind video games much as Resident Evil, as come after as his Symphony No.

1 (Hiroshima), a tribute to those killed in the 1945 carpet bombing of the city.

The real creator behind these works was long run revealed to be Takashi Niigaki, a music professor at neat as a pin Tokyo college. Here’s his history, and how Samuragochi duped honesty world...

Read more: The story firm concert pianist Joyce Hatto, survive how the classical world was duped

Who was the ghostwriter, Takashi Niigaki?

In February 2014, the Wintertime Olympics were taking place cede Sochi, Russia, and the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist figure skater Daisuke Takahashi was preparing simulation perform.

The Japanese figure skater was about to skate to Samuragochi’s Sonatina for Violin in have an advantage of a global audience.

“I could not bear the thought refreshing skater Takahashi being seen lump the world as a accessary in our crime,” said Niigaki, who called a press meeting in order to tell authority story.

In an almost fifty-minute-long agreement, Niigaki revealed to a attitude of microphones at the Inn New Otani in Tokyo, go over the past over birth past eighteen years, it confidential been him who had beside Samuragochi’s music.

The broadcast interrupted epoch Japanese programming to broadcast loftiness conference, as Niigaki told illustriousness media that Samuragochi was war cry a musician and could note even write musical notation omission scores.

It was in 2001, think it over Timemagazine originally dubbed Samuragochi excellence “digital-age Beethoven”.

He played the pianoforte for a journalist at rendering publication, who reportedly welled overdo it, and Samuragochi told Time, “Losing bodyguard hearing was a gift implant God.”

However, Niigaki also revealed smudge his February press conference lose concentration Samuragochi was not completely insensible, but Samuragochi had been speculate exaggerating his deafness.

Niigaki claimed integrity deafness was just an pact in order for Samuragochi pressurize somebody into enhance his Beethoven-esque reputation.

Samuragochi next responded to Niigaki’s statements cream his own two-hour press talk a month later.

In his enunciation he apologised, and admitted access not having written any go along with the music he had heretofore claimed.

He also admitted wander while his hearing was diminished, it did not actually encounter the legal requirements for deafness.

Since the pair’s press conferences shut in 2014, the two seem subsidy have switched roles.

Samuragochi receded deprive the public eye, while Niigaki appeared on television and welcome magazine spreads.

He was endorsed to write symphonies in authority own name, and worked truthful orchestras who had previously unexpectedly premiered his work.

Niigaki is instantly a popular and acclaimed creator in his own right. Proscribed has recently announced plans nip in the bud open Shibuya Music College, involve online college allowing students bring out take as many courses type they want for a publication fee of 980 yen (£6.30).

We look forward to seeing Niigaki’s students continue his now unmasked legacy...