NHK Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The in Tokyo
, Japan
began as the New Symphony Orchestra on October 5, 1926 and was the country's first professional symphony orchestra. Later, it changed its name to Japan Symphony Orchestra and in 1951, after receiving financial support from NHK, it took its current name. It is considered to be the leading orchestra in Japan.
Vladimir Ashkenazy
is the radio orchestra
's music director and Charles Dutoit
is music director emeritus. Wolfgang Sawallisch
serves as honorary conductor laureate.
In December 1962 the orchestra was a center of controversy when certain players, unhappy with the style and personality of conductor Seiji Ozawa
, refused to play under him. Ozawa went on to conduct the rival Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
instead.
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
began as the New Symphony Orchestra on October 5, 1926 and was the country's first professional symphony orchestra. Later, it changed its name to Japan Symphony Orchestra and in 1951, after receiving financial support from NHK, it took its current name. It is considered to be the leading orchestra in Japan.
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...
is the radio orchestra
Radio orchestra
A radio orchestra is an orchestra employed by a radio network in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In the heyday of radio such orchestras were numerous, performing classical, popular, light music and jazz...
's music director and Charles Dutoit
Charles Dutoit
Charles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
is music director emeritus. Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wolfgang Sawallisch is a retired German conductor and pianist.-Biography:Sawallisch was born in Munich, and studied composition and pianoforte there privately: at the conclusion of the war, in 1946 he continued his studies at the Munich High School for Music and passed his final examination for...
serves as honorary conductor laureate.
In December 1962 the orchestra was a center of controversy when certain players, unhappy with the style and personality of conductor Seiji Ozawa
Seiji Ozawa
is a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera.-Early years:...
, refused to play under him. Ozawa went on to conduct the rival Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
The , is an orchestra based in Tokyo, Japan.-History:The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra was founded on June 22, 1956, as the exclusive subsidiary orchestra under the Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. Akeo Watanabe served the first Chief conductor of the orchestra...
instead.
Permanent Conductors and Music Directors
- Hidemaro KonoyeHidemaro KonoyeViscount was a conductor and composer of classical music in Shōwa period Japan. He was the brother of pre-war Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe.-Biography:...
(January 1926–February 1935) - Josef König (April 1927–April 1929)
- Nicolai Schifferblatt (July 1929–July 1936)
- Joseph RosenstockJoseph RosenstockJoseph Rosenstock was a Polish Jewish conductor.-Early years:He worked at the State Opera in Wiesbaden before being brought into the Metropolitan Opera in New York to replace Artur Bodanzky in 1928...
(August 1936–September 1946 full-time conductor; March 1956–March 1957 Principal Conductor) - Hisatada Otaka (April 1942–February 1951† full-time conductor)
- Kazuo YamadaKazuo Yamadawas a Japanese conductor and composer.-Major works:*Violin Sonata*Sonata for Cello Solo*String Quartet No. 1*Notturno for flute and piano*From Soshigaya for voice and piano-External links:*...
(April 1942–July 1951 full-time conductor) - Shin'ichi Takata (April 1944–May 1951 full-time conductor)
- Kurt WössKurt WössKurt Wöss was an Austrian conductor and musicologist.Wöss was principal conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra from 1951 to 1954. From 1956 to 1959 he was chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra .-References:...
(September 1951–August 1954 Principal Conductor) - Niklaus AeschbacherNiklaus AeschbacherNiklaus Aeschbacher was a Swiss conductor.Born in Trogen in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden as the son of Carl Aeschbacher, he studied music in Zürich and Berlin. After a post as conductor in Bern he became the chief conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo in 1954. but returned to...
(August 1954–March 1956 Principal Conductor) - Wilhelm Loibner (March 1957–February 1959 Principal Conductor)
- Wilhelm SchüchterWilhelm SchüchterWilhelm Schüchter was a German conductor. He was Generalmusikdirektor in Dortmund and left a legacy of opera recordings.-Professional career:...
(February 1959–March 1962 Principal Conductor) - Alexander Rumpf (August 1964–July 1965 Principal Conductor)
- Hiroyuki IwakiHiroyuki Iwakiwas a Japanese conductor and percussionist.-Biography:Iwaki was born in Tokyo in 1932. Shortly after he entered an elementary school, he moved to Kyoto due to his father's transference. He came to play the xylophone at nine years old...
(February 1969–June 2006† Permanent Conductor) - Tadashi MoriTadashi Moriwas a Japanese conductor and flautist....
(February 1979–May 1987† Permanent Conductor) - Yuzo ToyamaYuzo Toyamais a Japanese composer and conductor. A native of Tokyo, he was a pupil of Kan'ichi Shimofusa; he studied conducting with Kurt Wöss and Wilhelm Loibner, and like them later became a conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor he has served with numerous orchestras throughout Japan; as...
(February 1979– Permanent Conductor) - Hiroshi WakasugiHiroshi Wakasugiwas a Japanese orchestra conductor. He premiered many of the major Western operas in Japan, and was honoured with many awards for cultural achievement....
(April 1995–July 2009† Permanent Conductor) - Charles DutoitCharles DutoitCharles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
(September 1996–August 1998 Principal Conductor; September 1998–August 2003 Music Director) - Vladimir AshkenazyVladimir AshkenazyVladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...
(September 2004–August 2007 Music Director) - André PrevinAndré PrevinAndré George Previn, KBE is an American pianist, conductor, and composer. He is considered one of the most versatile musicians in the world, and is the winner of four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings. -Early Life:Previn was born in...
, KBE (September 2009– Guest Principal Conductor) - Tadaaki OtakaTadaaki Otakais a Japanese-born, British-based conductor. He studied composition, theory, and French horn, at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, and later was a conducting student of Hideo Saito....
, CBECBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(January 2010– Permanent Conductor)
Honorary Conductors
- Joseph RosenstockJoseph RosenstockJoseph Rosenstock was a Polish Jewish conductor.-Early years:He worked at the State Opera in Wiesbaden before being brought into the Metropolitan Opera in New York to replace Artur Bodanzky in 1928...
(August 1951–October 1985†) - Joseph KeilberthJoseph KeilberthJoseph Keilberth was a German conductor who specialized in opera.He started his career in the State Theatre of his native city, Karlsruhe. In 1940 he became director of the German Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague. Near the end of World War II he became principal conductor of the Dresden...
(January 1967–July 1968†) - Lovro von MatačićLovro von MatacicLovro von Matačić was a Croatian conductor and composer.-Biography:Lovro von Matačić was born in Sušak to a family that was granted a noble title in the early 17th century. Growing up, he was always surrounded by music and art: his father had a career as an opera singer, and his mother as an actress...
(January 1967–January 1985†) - Wolfgang SawallischWolfgang SawallischWolfgang Sawallisch is a retired German conductor and pianist.-Biography:Sawallisch was born in Munich, and studied composition and pianoforte there privately: at the conclusion of the war, in 1946 he continued his studies at the Munich High School for Music and passed his final examination for...
(January 1967–October 1994; November 1994– Honorary Conductor Laureate) - Otmar SuitnerOtmar SuitnerOtmar Suitner was an Austrian conductor who spent most of his professional career in East Germany. He was born in Innsbruck and died in Berlin. He was Principal Conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden from 1960 to 1964, and then Music Director at the Berlin State Opera from 1964 to 1990...
(January 1973–January 2010†) - Horst SteinHorst SteinHorst Walter Stein was a German conductor.- Biography :...
(March 1975–July 2008†) - Herbert BlomstedtHerbert BlomstedtHerbert Blomstedt is a Swedish conductor.Herbert Blomstedt was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and two years after his birth, his Swedish parents moved the family back to their country of origin...
(January 1986–) - Charles DutoitCharles DutoitCharles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
(September 2003– Music Director Emeritus) - Vladimir AshkenazyVladimir AshkenazyVladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...
(September 2007– Conductor Laureate)