Toru Takemitsu — Japanese Composer born on October 08, 1930, died on February 20, 1996

Toru Takemitsu pronounced was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu possessed consummate skill in the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is famed for combining elements of oriental and occident philosophy to create a sound uniquely his own, and for fusing opposites together such as sound with silence and tradition with innovation... (wikipedia)

I always want to write erotic music... Not only about the love between men and women, but in a much more universal sense - about the sensuality of the mechanism of the universe... about life.
Composition gives proper meaning to the natural streams of sound that penetrate the world.
Although I am basically self taught, I consider Debussy my teacher - the most important elements are colour, light and shadow.
Music is a form of prayer.
Music should be able to invoke the natural emotions in all human beings. Music is not notes fixed on apiece of paper.