Yoshikazu Mera

Japanese countertenor (born 1971)

Yoshikazu Mera 米良美一
Born	(1971-05-21) May 21, 1971 (age 52) Miyazaki, Japan
Genres	Classical music
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	1994–present

Musical artist

Yoshikazu Mera (米良美一, Mera Yoshikazu, born May 21, 1971 in Miyazaki) is a Japanese countertenor. His range is three and a half octaves.^[1]

Originally wanting to become a pop singer, Mera now primarily sings classical music from the West but also classical Japanese music.^[1] He appears frequently as a soloist with the Bach Collegium Japan, which under its conductor Masaaki Suzuki performs Baroque music.^[1] His 1998 recital disc "Nightingale" on Sweden's BIS Records was a major success in Japan.^[2]

It was revealed in a television documentary entitled "米良美一の實話" ("Yoshikazu Mera's true story") that he was born with congenital osteogenesis imperfecta.^[3]

Selected discography

Nightingale – Japanese Art Songs
Baroque Arias
Baroque Arias, vol. 2
The Best of Yoshikazu Mera
Princess Mononoke: Music from the Motion Picture (1997)
Songs for Counter-Tenor and Orchestra
Mera sings Bach

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Biography with images at bach-cantatas.com
^ Billboard – January 24, 1998 – Page 42 Vol. 110, n° 4 "Plus, countertenor Yoshikazu Mera is a sensation in Japan, where his recital disc of Japanese art songs has sold 50,000 copies in four months, according to label reports."
^ 米良美一の實話 (Yoshikazu Mela's a true story)