is a Japanese composer and violinist. Kitamura is best known for her compositions of the Japanese video game developer FromSoftware, most notably for Dark Souls III, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring. She left FromSoftware in 2023 to pursue freelance work.
Biography Kitamura was born in Hokkaido, Japan. She has been interested in video games and music composition since her childhood, citing Majora's Mask as one of her favorite games and an influence for her professional ventures. After graduating from Sapporo Visual Arts College with a degree in music production, she began working at FromSoftware in 2011. There, she composed music for several of the studio’s successful games, including Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring. She also took the place of Motoi Sakuraba as lead composer for Dark Souls III. Additionally, she was a member of FreQuency, a band composed of members of FromSoftware's sound team and led by Tsukasa Saitoh. In August 2023, she announced that she was leaving FromSoftware and would be working as a freelancer from then on. Since then, she has composed for the upcoming Touhou Project spin-off game The Touhou Empires, and the anime series Witch Hat Atelier.
Musical style Kitamura is noted for not only composing her music, but occasionally performing individual parts. In addition to performing as a vocalist, she plays both violin and cello, and has performed with all three in some of her compositions. She frequently combines sampled sounds and live performances in her music, mixing between the two to create her works.
Her compositions are characterized by their oppressive and suspenseful nature, which underscores the often unsettling and violent scenes in FromSoftware’s games. The radio station NTS Radio noted that her music has accompanied the virtual deaths of millions of players. The gaming website Gamekult stated that she excels in the realm of dark fantasy characteristic of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s games.
Works Video games + YearTitleNotes2013Armored Core: Verdict DayMusic with Kota Hoshino2014Dark Souls IIMusic with Motoi SakurabaDark Souls II: The Lost CrownsMusic with Motoi Sakuraba2015Bloodborne"Watchers", "Rom, the Vacuous Spider", "Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos"Bloodborne: The Old Hunters"Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower"2016Dark Souls IIIMusic with Motoi SakurabaDark Souls III: Ashes of AriandelMusic with Motoi Sakuraba2017Dark Souls III: The Ringed CityMusic with Motoi Sakuraba2018DéracinéMusic with Tsukasa Saitoh and Shoi MiyazawaDisaster Report 4 Plus: Summer MemoriesMusic2019Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceMusic2022Elden RingMusic with Tsukasa Saitoh, Shoi Miyazawa, Tai Tomisawa, and Yoshimi Kudo2024Arknights"Ratio Ultima", "Succession", "Cries of the Cinderbringer"Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree"Gravesite Plain", "Gravesite Plain at Night", "Abyssal Woods", "St. Trina"2025Elden Ring Nightreign"Spirit Shelter"TBAThe Touhou EmpiresMusic
Film and television + YearTitleNotes2019Shibuya ShadouShort film2025The BetrayalShort filmWitch Hat AtelierAnime
Awards and nominations The Game Awards 2022: Best Music for Elden Ring British Academy Games Awards 2023: Best Music for Elden Ring Game Developers Choice Awards 2023: Best Audio for Elden Ring
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