Junichi Hirokami

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.[1][2][3] 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.[4] 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.[4] In 1973, pop singer Junko Sakurada's music inspired then 15-year-old Hirokami so that he started a fan club dedicated to her.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Barbara Zuck (2006-12-31). "Symphony sets sail after choosing Hirokami for helm". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  2. ↑ Barbara Zuck (2007-01-21). "Hirokami to lead nine weekends". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  3. ↑ Barbara Zuck (2006-11-05). "Opening performance proves a smashing success". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  4. 1 2 Jeffrey Sheban (2008-05-17). "Waiting for an encore". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
  5. ↑ Ikeda, Takuo (August 30, 1993). "Youthful conductor finds roots in rock; Critics dislike 'outspoken' performances". The Nikkei Weekly. Japan. p. 20.

External links

Preceded by
Franz Welser-Möst		 Chief Conductor, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra
1991-1996 		Succeeded by
Ole Kristian Ruud
Preceded by
Shlomo Mintz		 Chief Conductor, Limburg Symphony Orchestra
1998-2000 		Succeeded by
Ed Spanjaard
Preceded by
Gunther Herbig (music advisor)		 Music Director, Columbus Symphony Orchestra
2006-2008 		Succeeded by
Jean-Marie Zeitouni
Preceded by
Naoto Otomo		 Chief Conductor, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra
2008-present 		Succeeded by
(incumbent)


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/8/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.