Mamoru Sakamoto

Mamoru Sakamoto is a Japanese film composer and orchestrator specializing in cinematic scoring with a strong foundation in the Hollywood film-scoring tradition. His music draws on his training in classical composition and jazz, with a particular focus on orchestral writing, rich harmonic language, and emotionally driven storytelling.
Originally from Japan, Sakamoto studied composition and jazz piano at the Tokyo College of Music, El Camino College, and UCLA. His work has received recognition in both Japan and the United States, including the Grand Prize at the Sound Creator of Japan 2014 and Third Place in the Bill Conti Big Band Arranging & Composing Competition, hosted by the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC).
Since graduating, Sakamoto has composed music for film and animation, including Sumikko Gurashi: The Patched-Up Toy Factory in the Woods, and has worked as an orchestrator for Netflix’s My Melody & Kuromi. With a background spanning Japan and the United States, he brings a sophisticated understanding of Western cinematic scoring and a versatile approach to projects across film, animation, and other visual media.