Daniel Forró

Daniel Forró, M.A., Ph.D., was born 1958 in Jihlava, former Czechoslovakia, as Karel Horký.

Music studies: 1965-73 city music school Jihlava (piano, music theory, 1970-73 flute, orchestra play)

1973-79 Conservatory in Brno (cum laude - flute, pipe organ, piano, music theory, composition, Gregorian chant, singing, choir singing, improvisation)

1975-79 private study with Alois Piňos (composition, theory)

1979-86 JAMU in Brno - Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (cum laude - composition with A. Piňos, EA music, music theory, diploma composition "Concerto for synthesizers and orchestra", thesis "Electronics and Music", M.A.)

1982 Academia Chigiana in Sienna, Italy (Summer Master Class with Franco Donatoni)

1996-99 JAMU (theory of composition, Ph.D.)

1999-2003 Masaryk University in Brno (musicology, not finished due moving to Japan).

Multi-style composer - few thousands works: autonomous New music instrumental & vocal works (where he often combines acoustic and electronic instruments), functional & incidental music for theatre, radio, TV, film, sports, experimental electro-acoustic & computer music, neo-historical & neo-ethnic music, improvised music, microtonal music, pop/rock/jazz/fusion/Latin music, around 600 songs, music for children and other. In his works he synthesizes organically elements of European music (from Ancient music to the complex applications of mathematics), ethnic music from all the world and some principles of jazz and rock music. Pioneer of live electronic, computer, microtonal and improvised music (solo concert project Forrotronics since 1983).

Multi-style (historical classical music from Ars nova to New music of 21st century, all pop/rock/jazz/fusion/Latin styles, ethnic/folklore/world music, electro-acoustic & computer music, improvised music, microtonal music…) multi-instrumentalist (acoustic & electronic keyboard instruments, flutes, MIDI Wind Controller, guitars, MIDI guitar, MIDI equipped bass guitars, Japanese traditional instruments, percussions…), concert and recording artist, soloist & chamber music performer (few thousands concerts of all kind since 1966), improviser (all styles, perfect pitch).

Music teacher - since 1976 private lessons & courses, since 1990 own music school, 1990-2003 Assistant Lecturer at JAMU (EA & computer music composition & realization, microtonal music, computers in music, MIDI system, recording studio work, sound design & arranging, sampling, music production, performing with electronic instruments, stylistics, creative improvisation, music analysis, ethnomusicology…); 1996-2002 Summer Master Classes at JAMU (EA music, sound design, MIDI, computers in music, studio production, performing with electronic instruments, stylistics, creative improvisation); 1998-2003 Summer Pop-Rock-Jazz Academy (ear training, music analysis, composition & arranging, harmony, work and performing with electronic instruments, creative improvisation, music software, sound design, MIDI…).

Arranger, sound designer and studio producer in his own studio Forrotronics since 1982.

Music writer - hundreds of expert articles, tests & reviews in music magazines, 10 books on electronics & music, art & technology, music & composition theory.

Expert & consultant in the field of electronics & music - 1992-2002 cooperation with Yamaha Europe as a Product Specialist, Demonstrator & Clinician for Middle & Eastern European countries, 2002-03 same work for Korg and Technics in Czech Republic and Slovakia. Hundreds of seminars, lectures, demonstrations, clinics… in shops, schools, at music fairs, exhibitions…

Organizer - founder and owner of Museum of Electro-acoustic Instruments 1989-2003; founder and chairman of Society for Microtonal Music 1995-2003 and Society for Creative Music Improvisation 2000-2003; polymath (lot of interests), polyglot & interpreter & translator, language teacher; collector and serviceman of electronic music instruments.

Member of Society of EA Music, Club of Moravian Composers, Society Q, Czech-Japan Association, author's societies OSA, DILIA and Intergram.

One of the first musicians in the world using Yamaha revolutionary virtual-acoustic synthesizer VL1 since 1993, and the only musician who recorded double CD of own improvisations with extraordinary polyphonic synthesizer VP1 (VP1 Impressions, 1997). 1977-84 member of top Czech progressive art-rock groups Progres 2 and Bronz (keyboards, flutes, composition, sound design & arranging), since 1983 own one-man project Forrotronics. Cooperation with many artists, chamber groups, choirs and orchestras.

He has been living in Japan since October 2003. Besides music activities he does teaching and translating work in more languages. He is a long year member of City Music Committee, member of juries in piano competitions, church organist. Main Japanese TV channel NHK recorded and broadcasted a program about him in 2015. Some of his other projects: publishing culture quarterly magazine “Club Daniel” (2010-14), educational music for children “Ongaku genki no” (since 2011), healing music CD series “Body Music Therapy” (since 2013).

Web pages: www.danielforro.com www.soundclick.com/forrotronics