Minoru was born in
Tokushima on March 16, 1930. His first musical experiences were of the traditional music of this region. He had no formal music education before moving to
Okayama for high school. Here he first encountered European classical music. From there, he moved to
Tokyo, graduating from
the Tokyo University of the Arts in 1964. In that same year, Miki founded Pro musica Nipponia (日本音楽集団), an orchestra of traditional Japanese instruments for which he would compose a large amount of work. He also began collaborating with
koto virtuoso
Keiko Nosaka, developing the 20-string koto and reviving the instrument's repertoire with many new works in various genres and combinations. This included five concertos for koto and orchestra. In 1975 Minoru composed his first opera,
Shunkinsho, based on
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki's novel of the same name. Interest in Japanese traditional music by members of the
English Music Theatre Company led to the commission of ''Ada, An Actor's Revenge
after Otokichi Mikami.'' Written by Minoru, this was an opera in two acts to an English libretto by
James Kirkup which opened in London in October 1979.
Ada premiered in London in 1979 and was one of the last works commissioned and performed by the EMTC before its ultimate disbandment in 1980. During this period, Minoru developed a relationship with director
Colin Graham that was to last until Graham's death in 2007. The most notable result of this collaboration was the opera
Jōruri which was commissioned by Graham for the
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, premiering in 1985. With his 1992 work
Wakahime, Minoru adopted a pan-Asian perspective, incorporating music and instruments from a number of Asian countries into his compositions and collaborating with a number of Asian artists. Some of Miki's operas from thereon – mostly notably
Wakahime and
Aien – also increasingly dealt with episodes of Japan's presence and interaction with its neighboring Asian countries. This recurring theme was often performed on stage and incorporated the traditional instruments of these neighbouring countries. Miki died of
sepsis at
Mitaka city hospital, Tokyo, during the early hours of December 8, 2011. ==Works==