Kyōhei Sorita (反田恭平, Sorita Kyōhei; born 1 September 1994) is a Japanese classical pianist and conductor. In 2021, he…Kyōhei Sorita (反田恭平, Sorita Kyōhei; born 1 September 1994) is a Japanese classical pianist and conductor. In 2021, he won second prize at the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition, the highest prize for a Japanese-born pianist in the competition since Mitsuko Uchida's second prize in 1970.
Kentaro Sato (佐藤 賢太郎, Satō Kentarō; born 12 May 1981), aka Ken-P, is a composer, conductor, orchestrator, and clinician…Kentaro Sato (佐藤 賢太郎, Satō Kentarō; born 12 May 1981), aka Ken-P, is a composer, conductor, orchestrator, and clinician of media music (film, TV, and game) and concert music (Symphonic and Choral). He is also an accomplished lyricist and voice-over artist. His works have been broadcast, performed, and recorded in North and South America, Asia, and Europe by well-known groups including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 2005, he was appointed a resident composer/assistant conductor of the Torrance Symphony. He is also a frequent guest conductor and lecturer for various workshops and reading sessions on choral music and composition/orchestration around the world. Sato was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, known as the city of music and instruments. He holds a Master of Music in Conducting (choral emphasis) with Distinction and a Bachelor of Music in Media and Commercial Writing from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In addition to his degree in Music, he also holds degree in Cinema from Santa Monica College.
Reona Ito (伊藤 玲阿奈, Itō Reona; born 1979) is a Japanese orchestral and choral conductor and author based in New York…Reona Ito (伊藤 玲阿奈, Itō Reona; born 1979) is a Japanese orchestral and choral conductor and author based in New York City. Ito is the third generation to be born into a musical family of conductors in Fukuoka, Japan. He moved to the US in 1997 in order to study international affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs of the George Washington University. After graduating, however, he decided to become a professional musician and moved to New York City to study intensively. Ito started his professional career as a conductor in March 2008 with Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro at the Goldstein Theatre in Queens, New York. Soon after the debut he became music director of the Reona Ito Chamber Orchestra, a professional orchestra newly established by himself and the Japanese immigrant community in the New York metropolitan area. Ito's inaugural performance with the ensemble was at Carnegie Hall in June of the same year. From 2011 to 2013, Ito was music director of Zagreb Sinfonietta in Croatia. In August 2012 he and the orchestra were invited by the Poreč Music Festival to perform at the Euphrasian Basilica, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On 5 March 2013 he conducted a special concert celebrating the 20th-Year Anniversary of the Japan-Croatia Diplomatic Establishment, which was supported by the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia and the Embassy of Japan. Ito was also invited for an official meeting with the then president Ivo Josipović at the Office. In October 2014, Ito placed as third runner up of the American Prize in Orchestral Conducting (Professional Orchestra Division), one of the most prestigious national prizes for classical musicians in the US.
Kanako Abe (Japanese: 阿部 加奈子, romanized: Abe Kanako; born 23 March 1973 in Ōsaka, Ōsaka prefecture) is a Japanese…Kanako Abe (Japanese: 阿部 加奈子, romanized: Abe Kanako; born 23 March 1973 in Ōsaka, Ōsaka prefecture) is a Japanese conductor, composer and pianist. Based in The Hague, Netherlands, she has performed works by contemporary composers, including Tōru Takemitsu, Michaël Levinas, Régis Campo and Bushra El-Turk.
Takenori Nemoto (根本 雄伯, Nemoto Takenori; born 1969 in Kamakura) is a Japanese French horn player, composer, conductor…Takenori Nemoto (根本 雄伯, Nemoto Takenori; born 1969 in Kamakura) is a Japanese French horn player, composer, conductor, and music educator.
Masakazu Natsuda (夏田 昌和 Natsuda Masakazu, born 2 July 1968 in Tokyo) is a Japanese composer, former student of Gérard…Masakazu Natsuda (夏田 昌和 Natsuda Masakazu, born 2 July 1968 in Tokyo) is a Japanese composer, former student of Gérard Grisey at the Conservatoire de Paris.
Ryo Terakado (寺神戸 亮, Terakado Ryō; born 1961 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia) is a Japanese violinist and conductor who…Ryo Terakado (寺神戸 亮, Terakado Ryō; born 1961 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia) is a Japanese violinist and conductor who specializes in historically informed performance. He also plays the viola, viola d'amore and violoncello da spalla. He has been teaching at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and the Toho Gakuen School of Music.
Toshiyuki Kamioka Kamioka Toshiyuki (上岡 敏之; born 20 September 1960) is a Japanese conductor and pianist, who lives and…Toshiyuki Kamioka Kamioka Toshiyuki (上岡 敏之; born 20 September 1960) is a Japanese conductor and pianist, who lives and works predominantly in Germany since 1984.
Kazushi Ōno (大野 和士, Ōno Kazushi) (born 1960) is a Japanese conductor. He is currently music director of the Brussels…Kazushi Ōno (大野 和士, Ōno Kazushi) (born 1960) is a Japanese conductor. He is currently music director of the Brussels Philharmonic and of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of New National Theatre Tokyo.
Keisuke Shinohara (Japanese: 篠原 敬介, Hepburn: Shinohara Keisuke; 12 June 1959 – 17 August 2011) was a Japanese…Keisuke Shinohara (Japanese: 篠原 敬介, Hepburn: Shinohara Keisuke; 12 June 1959 – 17 August 2011) was a Japanese television and film composer. His work can be seen in such films as Arashi no Yoru ni and Piano no Mori. He died in 2011 at the age of 52.
Junichi Hirokami (広上 淳一, Hirokami Jun'ichi; born May 5, 1958) is a Japanese conductor. Born in Tokyo, Hirokami studied…Junichi Hirokami (広上 淳一, Hirokami Jun'ichi; born May 5, 1958) is a Japanese conductor. Born in Tokyo, Hirokami studied conducting, piano, musicology, and viola at the Tokyo College of Music. He won the first Kondrashin International Conducting Competition in Amsterdam in September 1984 at age 26. One of the judges of that competition, pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, then engaged Hirokami to conduct the NHK Symphony Orchestra on a tour of Japan with Ashkenazy in May 1985. From 1991-1996, he was Chief Conductor of the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. He served as Chief Conductor of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2000. He has also been the Principal Guest Conductor of both the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Hirokami became the music director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra on June 1, 2006, with an initial contract for 3 years. During the orchestra's 2008 financial crisis, Hirokami strongly supported the musicians during a protracted contract dispute, which caused strained relations between Hirokami and the orchestra's board and management. On November 13, 2008, in a letter to the orchestra's musicians, Hirokami announced that the board of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra had dismissed him from his post, effective immediately. Since April 2008, he has served as Chief Conductor of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, with an initial contract of 3 years. Hirokami and his wife Yukari have a daughter, Kimiko. In 1973, pop singer Junko Sakurada's music inspired then 15-year-old Hirokami so that he started a fan club dedicated to her.
Chosei Komatsu (小松 長生, Komatsu Chōsei; born March 1, 1958) is a Japanese conductor who, from 2003 to 2010, was artistic…Chosei Komatsu (小松 長生, Komatsu Chōsei; born March 1, 1958) is a Japanese conductor who, from 2003 to 2010, was artistic director of Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica. Also, after five years as music director of Japan’s Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, he assumed the title of Conductor Laureate.
Masao Mukai (向井 正雄, Mukai Masao) is a Japanese choir conductor. He was born and raised in the city of Matsusaka, Mie…Masao Mukai (向井 正雄, Mukai Masao) is a Japanese choir conductor. He was born and raised in the city of Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, Japan, and graduated from the School of Education at Mie University. In 1992, he founded the Tsu Ensemble Chorus, officially known as "Vocal Ensemble 《EST》", which he still conducts. He also conducts the Yachimata Choir and, on occasion, the Ritsumeikan University Choir. He specializes in church choir music from European Renaissance and has received numerous awards for his work both in Europe and his native Japan. In 2007 he was included in the book "Who's Who in Choral Music". When not conducting, Masao Mukai teaches high school Math. In recent years he taught at Ujiyamada High School in the city of Ise, Mie Prefecture where, as conductor of the chorus club, he led the school to numerous appearances in the final chorus competition at the national level and won first place twice. He now teaches at Matsusaka Technical High School. He also occasionally gives lectures and acts as a judge at choral competitions.
Naomi Munakata (宗像 直美, Munakata Naomi; 31 May 1955 – 26 March 2020) was a Japanese-born Brazilian choral conductor and…Naomi Munakata (宗像 直美, Munakata Naomi; 31 May 1955 – 26 March 2020) was a Japanese-born Brazilian choral conductor and academic teacher based in the city of São Paulo. She was conductor of Coro da OSESP, the choir of the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, from 1995 to 2013, and then principal conductor of Coral Paulistano Mário de Andrade at the Municipal Theatre. She was among the choral conductors in South America who "have contributed to the strengthening and stimulation of choral music", according to The Cambridge Companion to Choral Music.
Toshiyuki "Toshi" Watanabe (渡辺 俊幸 Watanabe Toshiyuki; born February 3, 1955) is a Japanese musician and composer, known…Toshiyuki "Toshi" Watanabe (渡辺 俊幸 Watanabe Toshiyuki; born February 3, 1955) is a Japanese musician and composer, known for writing film scores.
Mamoru Fujisawa (Japanese: 藤澤 守, Hepburn: Fujisawa Mamoru; born December 6, 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi…Mamoru Fujisawa (Japanese: 藤澤 守, Hepburn: Fujisawa Mamoru; born December 6, 1950), known professionally as Joe Hisaishi (久石 譲, Hisaishi Jō), is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic, Western classical, and Japanese classical. He has also worked as a music engraver and arranger. He has been associated with director and animator Hayao Miyazaki since 1984, having written scores for all but one of Miyazaki's films. He is also recognized for his music for filmmaker 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, including A Scene at the Sea (1991), Sonatine (1993), Kids Return (1996), Hana-bi (1997), Kikujiro (1999), Brother (2000), and Dolls (2002), and for the video game series Ni no Kuni. He composed the score for the Oscar-winning film Departures (2008). He was a student of anime composer Takeo Watanabe.
Kazuhiro Koizumi (小泉 和裕, Koizumi Kazuhiro; born 16 October 1949) is a Japanese conductor who has had an active…Kazuhiro Koizumi (小泉 和裕, Koizumi Kazuhiro; born 16 October 1949) is a Japanese conductor who has had an active international career since the 1970s. Koizumi was one among the founding conductors of the New Japan Philharmonic established in July 1972. He has appeared as a guest conductor throughout Europe and the United States, appearing with such ensembles as the Berlin Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is the current principal conductor of both the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, a post he has held since 2008, and the Century Orchestra Osaka (2003). Since 2006 he has been a current principal guest conductor with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hiroyuki Fujikake (born 1949), also known by his pen name Hiro Fujikake, is a Japanese composer, conductor and…Hiroyuki Fujikake (born 1949), also known by his pen name Hiro Fujikake, is a Japanese composer, conductor and synthesizer player.
Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the…Michiyoshi Inoue (井上道義, Inoue Michiyoshi) (born on December 23, 1946) is a Japanese conductor. He is a recipient of the Cantelli Award.
Kazuyoshi Akiyama (秋山 和慶, Akiyama Kazuyoshi; January 2, 1941 – January 26, 2025) was a Japanese conductor who held…Kazuyoshi Akiyama (秋山 和慶, Akiyama Kazuyoshi; January 2, 1941 – January 26, 2025) was a Japanese conductor who held conducting posts of symphony orchestras in Japan, Canada and the U.S., such as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra from 1964 for life, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 1985, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra from 1985 to 1993, and the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra from 1998. Akiyama conducted the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in the Japanese premieres of Schoenberg's Moses und Aron, John Adams's El Niño and Helmut Lachenmann's Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern, among others.
Ken'ichiro Kobayashi (小林 研一郎, Kobayashi Ken'ichirō; born 9 April 1940) is a Japanese conductor and composer. In Japan…Ken'ichiro Kobayashi (小林 研一郎, Kobayashi Ken'ichirō; born 9 April 1940) is a Japanese conductor and composer. In Japan he is known among his fans as “Kobaken.”
Maki Ishii (Japanese: 石井 眞木, Hepburn: Ishii Maki; May 28, 1936 – April 8, 2003) was a Japanese composer of contemporary…Maki Ishii (Japanese: 石井 眞木, Hepburn: Ishii Maki; May 28, 1936 – April 8, 2003) was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.
Seiji Ozawa (小澤 征爾, Ozawa Seiji; September 1, 1935 – February 6, 2024) was a Japanese conductor known internationally…Seiji Ozawa (小澤 征爾, Ozawa Seiji; September 1, 1935 – February 6, 2024) was a Japanese conductor known internationally for his work as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and especially the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), where he served from 1973 for 29 years. After conducting the Vienna New Year's Concert in 2002, he was director of the Vienna State Opera until 2010. In Japan, he founded the Saito Kinen Orchestra in 1984, their festival in 1992, and the Tokyo Opera Nomori in 2005. Ozawa rose to fame after he won the 1959 Besançon competition. He was invited by Charles Munch, then the music director of the BSO, for the following year to Tanglewood, the orchestra's summer home, where he studied with Munch and Pierre Monteux. Winning the festival's Koussevitzky Prize earned him a scholarship with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic and brought him to the attention of Leonard Bernstein, who made him his assistant with the New York Philharmonic in 1961. He became artistic director of the festival and education program in Tanglewood in 1970, together with Gunther Schuller. In 1994, the new main hall there was named after him. During the cold war era Ozawa's "Concerts for Peace" at the United Nations General Assembly, the National Cathedral, and in the city of Hiroshima helped to raise public awareness about the risks associated with the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Ozawa conducted world premieres such as György Ligeti's San Francisco Polyphony in 1975 and Olivier Messiaen's opera Saint François d'Assise in Paris in 1983. He received numerous international awards, and a Grammy for his recording of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges . He joined Haruki Murakami for a series of conversations, Absolutely on Music. Ozawa was the first and most widely recognized Japanese conductor to attain a prominent international career.
Hiroshi Wakasugi (若杉 弘, Wakasugi Hiroshi; 31 May 1935 – 21 July 2009) was a Japanese orchestra conductor. He premiered…Hiroshi Wakasugi (若杉 弘, Wakasugi Hiroshi; 31 May 1935 – 21 July 2009) was a Japanese orchestra conductor. He premiered many of the major Western operas in Japan, and was honoured with many awards for cultural achievement. He was best known for conducting works by German composers such as Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss.
Norio Nobuhito Maeda (前田 憲男, Maeda Norio; December 6, 1934 – November 25, 2018 Osaka Prefecture) was a Japanese jazz…Norio Nobuhito Maeda (前田 憲男, Maeda Norio; December 6, 1934 – November 25, 2018 Osaka Prefecture) was a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. Maeda learned piano as a young child, and moved to Tokyo to play and arrange jazz professionally in 1955. There he played with Shungo Sawada's ensemble and founded a group called the Wind Breakers. He joined the West Liners, led by Konosuke Saijo, as a pianist and arranger in 1959. Known as a composer, he penned pieces for The Blue Coats, Tatsuya Takahashi, Nobuo Hara, and Toshiyuki Miyama. He also founded We 3 with Yasuo Arakawa and Takeshi Inomata, and later worked with Inomata again in a trio with Sadanori Nakamure. On 25 November 2018, Maeda died from pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo.
Yūzō Toyama (外山 雄三, Toyama Yūzō; 10 May 1931 – 11 July 2023) was a Japanese composer and conductor. A native of Tokyo…Yūzō Toyama (外山 雄三, Toyama Yūzō; 10 May 1931 – 11 July 2023) was 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 served with numerous orchestras throughout Japan; as a composer his prime influences are Béla Bartók and Dmitri Shostakovich. Mstislav Rostropovich performed the world premiere of the composer's six-movement 1967 First Cello Concerto, a piece described by Gramophone as "attractive", with the additional comment that it "sounds like Japanese folk music rendered orchestral by Kodaly". His best-known work is a Rhapsody for Orchestra based on Japanese folk songs. Toyama won the Suntory Music Award in 1982. Toyama died on 11 July 2023, at the age of 92.
Koichi Sugiyama (すぎやま こういち, Sugiyama Kōichi; April 11, 1931 – September 30, 2021) was a Japanese composer, conductor…Koichi Sugiyama (すぎやま こういち, Sugiyama Kōichi; April 11, 1931 – September 30, 2021) was a Japanese composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He was best known for composing for the Dragon Quest franchise, along with several other video games, anime, film, television shows, and pop songs. Classically trained, Sugiyama was considered a major inspiration for other Japanese game music composers and was active from the 1960s until his death in 2021. Sugiyama was also a council member of the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers (JASRAC), board member of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals, and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Society. Prior to his death, the Japanese government honored him with Order of the Rising Sun and named him a Person of Cultural Merit. Sugiyama was also active in politics and activism, promoting ideas such as Japanese nationalism while denying Japanese war crimes.
Yasushi Akutagawa (芥川 也寸志, Akutagawa Yasushi; July 12, 1925 – January 31, 1989) was a Japanese composer and conductor.…Yasushi Akutagawa (芥川 也寸志, Akutagawa Yasushi; July 12, 1925 – January 31, 1989) was a Japanese composer and conductor. His father was Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.
Akeo Watanabe (渡邉 暁雄, Watanabe Akeo; 1919–1990) was a Japanese symphonic conductor, known for his recordings of the…Akeo Watanabe (渡邉 暁雄, Watanabe Akeo; 1919–1990) was a Japanese symphonic conductor, known for his recordings of the works of Jean Sibelius. Watanabe was born in 1919 to a Japanese father and Finnish mother. He studied violin and conducted at the Tokyo Music School and the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, USA. His conducting premiere was with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in 1945. He was music director of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra from 1948 to 1954 (Kennedy 2006). In 1956, Watanabe founded the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and continued as its resident conductor until 1968. In 1970, he became music director of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, and remained so until 1972. From 1972 to 1978, he was the music director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. In 1978, he once again became resident conductor of the newly reformed Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom he stayed until 1983. In 1988, he became the music director of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, and remained there until 1990. He was also a professor of conducting at the Tokyo University of the Arts from 1962 to 1967 (Kennedy 2006). Watanabe was a regular guest conductor with orchestras in the United States and Europe (Kennedy 2006). Watanabe made the first complete set of recordings of Sibelius' symphonies in stereophonic sound with the Japan Philharmonic from 1960 to 1962 for the Nippon Columbia Company (these were released on Columbia's Epic label in the United States). He re-recorded the Sibelius symphony cycle in digital sound with the same orchestra in 1981 for Denon. Watanabe died in 1990. Japan Philharmonic Orchestra records note that he remained as music director of the orchestra, which he founded, until his death.
Hisatada Otaka (Japanese: 尾高尚忠; 26 September 1911 – 16 February 1951) was a Japanese composer and conductor. He was the…Hisatada Otaka (Japanese: 尾高尚忠; 26 September 1911 – 16 February 1951) was a Japanese composer and conductor. He was the conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra from 1942 to 1951. Otaka was born in Japan and studied in musical arts early, however he dropped out of high school and moved to Vienna for six years for conducting and composing, during his studies in Vienna he became friends with Andrzej Panufnik and started composing works. In 1940, Otaka moved back to Japan where he took the role as conductor for the NHK Symphony Orchestra, become a music teacher and compose most of his significant works such as his Symphony and Cello Concerto, however his life came to an abrupt end at the age of 39, leaving an unfinished Flute Concerto rewrite which one of his students, Hikaru Hayashi, would take on and complete. When Otaka died he left behind three children, all of whom play his work regularly particularly the youngest son Tadaaki Otaka. In 1953, the NHK Symphony Orchestra created the Otaka Prize, which is named after Hisatada Otaka for his role in helping the orchestra. Otaka had written one of the first Japanese cello concertos and the first Japanese flute concerto, the latter being played regularly as Otaka's most famous work.
Kishi Kōichi (貴志 康一; March 31, 1909 – November 17, 1937) was a Japanese composer, conductor and violinist. Kishi spent…Kishi Kōichi (貴志 康一; March 31, 1909 – November 17, 1937) was a Japanese composer, conductor and violinist. Kishi spent his childhood in Miyakojima, a district of Osaka. Following the example of his mother, he learned to play the violin. At the age of 18 he went to Europe to complete his training as a violinist at the Geneva Conservatory and the Berlin School of Music. He then studied composition with Paul Hindemith and conducting with Wilhelm Furtwängler. In 1934, at the age of 25, he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic. As a composer, Kishi's composition includes orchestral works, stage works, chamber works, film scores and songs. In 1935, he went back to Japan. In 1937, the 28-year-old Kishi Kōichi died of a heart condition in Japan.
Ahn Eak-tai (; Korean: 안익태; Hanja: 安益泰; pronounced [ɐn.ik̚tʰε]; 5 December 1906 – 16 September 1965) was a Korean…Ahn Eak-tai (; Korean: 안익태; Hanja: 安益泰; pronounced [ɐn.ik̚tʰε]; 5 December 1906 – 16 September 1965) was a Korean classical composer and conductor. He conducted numerous major orchestras across Europe, including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra. Ahn composed "Aegukga", a song best known as the national anthem of South Korea, Korean Dance, Nongae, and the Symphonic Fantasy Korea. His unpublished works, some of which have been discovered recently, include Poema Synfonic 'Mallorca, Lo Pi Formentor, and The Death of Emperor Gojong. Ahn Eak-tai was born in the northern part of Korea just before the colonial era, and attended a school staffed by Catholic missionaries. There he developed an interest in music as he played a trumpet in the school orchestra. He received his higher education from the Kunitachi Music School in Japan, at the University of Cincinnati, and at the Curtis Institute of Music in the United States during the Great Depression. Ahn continued his study at Vienna under Bernhard Paumgartner, and under Zoltán Kodály at the Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary. Upon a second visit to Vienna, Ahn received assistance from Richard Strauss to bring Symphonic Fantasy Korea to near completion. Beginning with a concert in Budapest, Ahn spent the next five years conducting in Europe. The escalation of World War II brought Ahn to Spain, where he met Lolita Talavera, his future wife. After their marriage in 1946, the two moved to the United States, where Ahn conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra. Then, in 1955, Ahn returned to South Korea, and conducted the Seoul Philharmonic until his death.
Hashimoto Kunihiko (橋本國彦; also Qunihico Hashimoto) (September 14, 1904 – May 6, 1949) was a Japanese composer…Hashimoto Kunihiko (橋本國彦; also Qunihico Hashimoto) (September 14, 1904 – May 6, 1949) was a Japanese composer, violinist, conductor, and musical educator.
Hideo Saito (齋藤 秀雄, Saitō Hideo; May 23, 1902 – September 18, 1974) was a Japanese cellist, conductor, and music…Hideo Saito (齋藤 秀雄, Saitō Hideo; May 23, 1902 – September 18, 1974) was a Japanese cellist, conductor, and music lecturer.