Hikaru Hayashi has been played on NTS shows including Donna Leake, with L'ile Nue first played on 22 April 2018.

Hikaru Hayashi (林 光, Hayashi Hikaru, born October 22, 1931 in Tokyo) is a contemporary Japanese composer, pianist and conductor. He is the cousin of flautist Ririko Hayashi.

Hayashi entered Tokyo University of the Arts as a composition student but did not complete his studies. Studying under Hisatada Otaka, he produced many compositions including orchestral works. In particular, he is noted for his 1958 choral suite Genbaku Shōkei (原爆小景 Beautiful View of an Atomic Bomb).

In exploring the possibilities of Japanese language opera, Hayashi has composed more than 30 operas. He is artistic director and resident composer of the Opera Theatre Konnyakuza. His oeuvre also includes symphonic works, works for band, chamber music, choral works, songs and more than 100 film scores, of which those he composed for director Kaneto Shindo in the 1960s are the most well known. Hayashi is the author of more than 20 books including Nihon opera no yume (日本オペラの夢 The Dream of Japanese Opera).

In 1998 Hayashi won the 30th Suntory Music Award.

Selected works Opera * Gauche the Cellist (セロ弾きのゴーシュ) (1986); based on the novel by Kenji Miyazawa * Twelve Months (森は生きている) (1992); based on the novel by Samuil Marshak * Metamorphosis (変身 セールスマンKの憂鬱) (1996); based on the novel by Franz Kafka * I Am a Cat (吾輩は猫である) (1998); based on the novel by Soseki Natsume * Three Sisters (三人姉妹) (2001); based on the novel by Anton Chekhov * Revenge of the Dog (イヌの仇討ち あるいは吉良の決断) (2002); based on the novel by Hisashi Inoue * Last Adventure of Don Quixote (花のラ・マンチャ騎士道 あるいはドン・キホーテ最後の冒険) (2004); based on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes * Romeo and Juliet (瓦礫のなかのロミオ＆ジュリエット) (2006); based on the play by William Shakespeare

Concertante * Guitar Concerto (ギター協奏曲＜北の帆船＞) * Viola Concerto "Elegia" (悲歌) for Viola and Strings (1995) * Xylophone Concerto (木琴協奏曲＜夏の雲はしる＞) (2007)

Chamber music * Rhapsody for Violin and Piano (1965) * Sonata for Flute and Piano (1967) * String Quartet "Legende" (レゲンデ) (1989) * Vines (蔓枝) for Viola Solo * Viola Sonata "Process" (プロセス) for Viola and Piano (2002)

Film scores

Hadaka no shima (Naked Island, 1960) Onibaba (1964) Yabu no naka no kuroneko (1968)