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Masashi Hamauzu
| Overview | Biography | Discography | Game Projects | Interviews |
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Date of Birth: | September 20, 1971 (Munich) |
| Education: | Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music | |
| Musical Influences: | Maurice Ravel, Ryuichi Sakamoto, His Father | |
| Instruments: | Piano, Bass Vocalist | |
| Employment: | Square Enix (1996 - ) | |
| Game Works: | Unlimited SaGa, Final Fantasy XIII, Piano Albums |
Born into a musical family in Munich, Masashi Hamauzu was educated at an eminent Japan university in classical vocal music. He made the unusual transition to composing game music when he joined Square in 1996. He initial works were some compositions on Front Mission: Gun Hazard and Tobal No. 1, as well as a performance role on Final Fantasy VII.
Hamauzu made his solo debut on Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon and ambitiously created the orchestral arranged album Coi Vanni Gialli dedicated to it. He subsequently composed SaGa Frontier II in an impressionistic style and released his first piano arranged album on its behalf. He gained popular exposure with his diverse works on Final Fantasy X and created its Piano Collections.
After the rich score to Unlimited SaGa, Hamauzu became the leading composer of Square Enix's music team. He subsequently co-composed the mostly electronica-based score to Musashi: Samurai Legend and showed acumen as a symphonist in Dirge of Cerberus Final Fantasy VII. Having recently released the solo album Vielen Dank and scored the DS' Sigma Harmonics, he is completing work on Final Fantasy XIII.
