The Kyoto Symphony Orchestra European Concert Tour 2015
June 7 (Sun.) Amsterdam,Holland Het Concertgebouw
Special offer to DUJAT members!
Adult: €40 -> €20
Student: €15 -> €10
Discoun Code: IN150607KY（一般４０ーー２０／学生１５−ー１０）
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bCSRVCIAXg&feature=youtu.be
Kyoto Symphony Orchestra(KSO) was founded in 1956 under the management of Kyoto City Government
to create a new culture in the city. It is the only orchestra managed by a public authority in Japan.
In May 1997, the orchestra gave concerts at Prague Spring International Music festival, EU japan Fest in
Greece, and also performed in Vienna, Krakow and Zagreb under the direction of Michiyoshi Inoue, the 9th
Chief Conductor and Music Director,to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
In celebration of its 50th anniversary in 2006, the Orchestra successfully performed Schoenberg’s «Gurre-
Lieder» first in Kyoto and toured seven domestic cities under the direction of Naoto Otomo, the 11th
Chief Conductor. KSO is also energetic in activities like instrument training workshop, concerts for young
people, concerts at welfare facilities, and coaching for the Kyoto Junior Orchestra. It celebrated the 500th
subscription concert in May 2007.
In 2008, it invited Junichi Hirokami as the 12th Chief Conductor and Naoto Otomo as the Conductor
Laureate. In April 2014, Junichi Hirokami became the 12th Chief Conductor & Music Advisor, and KSO invited
Ken Takaseki as the Principal Guest Conductor and Tatsuya Shimono as the Guest Conductor . In April 2015,
KSO received the 46th Suntory Music Award, one of Japan’s most prestigious prizes in musical achievement.
In the half-century since its foundation, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra is advancing to be a world-class
orchestra befitting Kyoto, an arts and culture city.
Born in Tokyo, Junichi Hirokami studied conducting, piano, musicology and viola at the
prestigious Tokyo College of Music. He began his conducting career at the age of 26
after winning the first Kondrashin International Conducting Competition in Amsterdam.
Since 1990, Junichi Hirokami has appeared as guest conductor with major orchestras
throughout the world including the Orchestre National de France, Berlin Radio
Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre, Symphonique de
Montreal, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and Wiener
Symphoniker.
Between 1988 and 1995, Hirokami was Chief Conductor of Sweden’s Norrköping
Symphony Orchestra. Since then he served as Chief Conductor of the Limburg
Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic,
Principal Conductor of Japan Philharmonic and Music Director of the Columbus
Symphony Orchestra.
In recent years, he has been conducting the orchestras which include the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra, L’Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, the Saint
Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow,
the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.
In Japan he has conducted all the major orchestras including NHK Symphony
Orchestra and the Saito Kinen Orchestra. He also received great acclaim for his
appearance with the Mito Chamber Orchestra in 2008.
He is prolific in opera as well, having led celebrated performances of “Un ballo in
maschera” and “Rigoletto” at the the Sydney Opera House, and his most recent
triumphs include “La Traviata” at the Fujiwara Opera, “Le Nozze di Figaro” and
“Ainadamar” at the Nissay Theatre, and “La Traviata” and “Aida” at the New National
Theatre.
Hirokami is currently Chief Conductor and Music Advisor of the Kyoto Symphony
Orchestra. In his six years, he made the orchestra grown up greatly and made a big
success at Suntory Hall, Tokyo too in 2014 which televised by NHK.
He serves as professor at Tokyo College of Music and guest professor at Kyoto City
University of Arts.
