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Japanese composer, arranger, conductor, and educator, renowned as a foundational figure in the development of wind ensemble music in Japan.Naohiro Iwai graduated from the Tokyo Music School (now Tokyo University of the Arts). He became deeply involved in the wind band movement post-World War II, serving as a principal arranger and advisor for the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra for decades. He held teaching positions at Kunitachi College of Music and Musashino Academia Musicae. As chairman of the All Japan Band Association's contest music selection committee, he profoundly shaped the repertoire and standards for bands across Japan. His prolific output includes hundreds of arrangements of classical and popular works specifically for wind bands, alongside original compositions, making complex orchestral music accessible to school and community ensembles.

• Iwai's meticulous arrangements of classical symphonic repertoire (like Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Sibelius) for wind band were revolutionary, significantly raising the artistic level and technical demands for amateur and professional ensembles alike.
• He played a crucial role in establishing the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra as a world-class ensemble through his long association as their chief arranger and advisor.
• His influence extended globally, particularly in Asia, where his arrangements became standard performance material.
• He died of heart failure on April 24, 2014, at the age of 90.