The winner of 1971 Tokyo International Guitar Competition, Norio Sato has been the leading figure in the field of contemporary music in Japan, both as a guitarist and as a conductor, giving world premieres of numerous works in Japan and abroad. He formed Ensemble NOMAD in 1997, and became its Music Director. He has made appearances at major contemporary music festivals around the globe, and has been awarded the Kyoto Prize, Kenzo Nakajima Prize, and Asahi Prize for Contemporary Music. He is currently teaching at Toho Gakuen College of Music and Drama and Nihon University College of Arts.