Stephen M. Sano
| Stephen M. Sano | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Musician, conductor |
| Instruments | Piano, guitar |
| Website | stanford |
Stephen M. Sano (born 1959) is professor of music and the Harold C. Schmidt director of choral studies at Stanford University. Using the name Steve Sano, he is also an accomplished kī hō'alu, or slack-key guitar, player.
Sano is a native of Palo Alto, California. His father, Iwao Peter Sano, is a second generation Japanese American who, as a second son, was adopted by relatives in Japan. The elder Sano describes his experiences in Japan as a member of the Japanese Army and Russian prisoner of war in his book One Thousand Days in Siberia. Sano's mother, Minako Sano, is a graduate of Tsuda College. She immigrated from Tokyo to California in the 1950s.
Sano graduated from San Jose State University with a B.A. in Piano Performance and Theory from the studio of Aiko Onishi and worked as Executive Director of the Peninsula Symphony before attending Stanford where he earned his M.A. and D.M.A. in Choral and Orchestral Conducting under the guidance of William Ramsey.
Sano is currently the Chair of the Stanford Department of Music where he directs the Stanford Chamber Chorale and Stanford Symphonic Chorus, teaches conducting, and offers seminars in kī hō'alu and North American taiko. He was the recipient of the 2004 Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching at Stanford and the 2001 Asian American Faculty Award.
The Stanford Chamber Chorale is the University's select group of 24 undergraduate and graduate student singers which, under Sano's direction, records, tours annually, has collaborated with artists such as England's Tallis Scholars; the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge; Chatham Baroque; Paco Peña; and the Kronos Quartet, recorded a collection of works for Kirke Mechem, and premiered works by Melissa Hui, Takeo Kudo, Jonathan Berger, Giancarlo Aquilanti, and Howard Helvey.
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