The is a Japanese

broadcast orchestra A radio orchestra (or broadcast orchestra) is an orchestra employed by a radio network (and sometimes television networks) in order to provide programming as well as sometimes perform incidental or theme music for various shows on the network. In ...

based in Tokyo. The orchestra gives concerts in several venues, including the

NHK Hall The NHK Hall is a concert hall located at the NHK Broadcasting Center, the main headquarters of Japan's public broadcaster NHK. The hall is the main venue for the NHK Symphony Orchestra, but it has also played host to other events, such as the 19 ...

, Suntory Hall, and the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.

History

The orchestra 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 the ''Japan Symphony Orchestra''. In 1951, after receiving financial support from

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

, the orchestra took its current name. The most recent conductor with the title of music director of the orchestra was

Vladimir Ashkenazy Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (russian: Влади́мир Дави́дович Ашкена́зи, ''Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazi''; born 6 July 1937) is an internationally recognized solo pianist, chamber music performer, and conductor. He ...

, from 2004 to 2007. Ashkenazy now has the title of conductor laureate. Charles Dutoit, the orchestra's music director from 1998 to 2003, is now its music director emeritus.

Wolfgang Sawallisch Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist. Biography Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...

, honorary conductor from 1967 to 1994, held the title of honorary conductor laureate until his death. The orchestra's current permanent conductors are Yuzo Toyama, since 1979, and

Tadaaki Otaka is a Japanese conductor. Biography Otaka studied composition, theory, and French horn, at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. He was subsequently a conducting student of Hideo Saito. Otaka has served as conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orch ...

, since 2010.

Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor. Herbert Blomstedt was born in Massachusetts. Two years after his birth, his Swedish parents moved the family back to their country of origin. He studied at the Stockholm Roy ...

holds the title of honorary conductor, since 1986 and the title of honorary conductor laureate, since 2016. André Previn had the title of honorary guest conductor from 2012 until his death in 2019. In June 2012, the orchestra named

Paavo Järvi Paavo Järvi (; born 30 December 1962) is an Estonian-American conductor. Early life Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia, to Liilia Järvi and the Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi. His siblings, Kristjan Järvi and Maarika Järvi, are also mu ...

as its next chief conductor, as of the 2015–2016 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. Järvi's most recent contract extension with the NHK Symphony, announced in November 2019, is through August 2022, at which time he is scheduled to stand down from the orchestra.

Fabio Luisi Fabio Luisi (born 17 January 1959) is an Italian conductor. He is currently principal conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and chief conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. B ...

first guest-conducted the orchestra in July 2001. In April 2021, the orchestra announced the appointment of Luisi as its next chief conductor, effective September 2022, with an initial contract of 3 years.

Permanent Conductors and Music Directors

Hidemaro Konoye Viscount was a Japanese conductor and composer of classical music. He was the younger brother of pre-war Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe. Biography Konoye was born in Kōjimachi, Tokyo. He was the younger son of Duke Konoe Atsumaro, s ...

(January 1926 – February 1935) * Josef König (April 1927 – April 1929) * Nicolai Schifferblatt (July 1929 – July 1936) *

Joseph Rosenstock Joseph Rosenstock (, ; in Kraków in New York City) was an American conductor. Career Early years He worked at the State Theatre in Darmstadt, where, on , he conducted '' Hagith'' by Karol Szymanowski, and at the State Opera in Wiesbaden, w ...

(August 1936 – September 1946, full-time conductor; March 1956 – March 1957, Principal Conductor) *

Hisatada Otaka 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 ear ...

(April 1942 – February 1951†, full-time conductor) *

Kazuo Yamada was a Japanese conductor and composer. Birthday Born in Tokyo in 1912. Began studies at Gakushuin and then Tokyo University of the Arts (formerly the Tokyo Music School). Studied piano with Leo Sirota and Paul Weingarten, and composition wi ...

(April 1942 – July 1951, full-time conductor) * Shin'ichi Takata (April 1944 – May 1951, full-time conductor) *

Kurt Wöss Kurt Wöss also Kurt Woess (2 May 1914, in Linz, Austria – 4 December 1987, in Dresden, Germany) was an Austrian conductor and musicologist. Wöss was principal conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra from 1951 to 1954. From 1956 to 1959 ...

(September 1951 – August 1954, Principal Conductor) *

Niklaus Aeschbacher Niklaus Aeschbacher (30 April 1917 – 30 November 1995) was a Swiss composer and 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 conduct ...

(August 1954 – March 1956, Principal Conductor) * Wilhelm Loibner (March 1957 – February 1959, Principal Conductor) *

Wilhelm Schüchter Wilhelm Schüchter (15 December 1911 – 27 May 1974) was a German conductor. He was Generalmusikdirektor in Dortmund and left a legacy of opera recordings. Career Born in Bonn, Schüchter studied piano at the Hochschule für Musik Köln, co ...

(February 1959 – March 1962, Principal Conductor) * Alexander Rumpf (August 1964 – July 1965, Principal Conductor) *

Hiroyuki Iwaki (6 September 193213 June 2006) was 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 transferral. He came to play the xyloph ...

(February 1969 – June 2006†, Permanent Conductor) *

Tadashi Mori was a Japanese conductor and flautist. Biography Tadashi Mori performed as flautist in his young days. He studied conducting from Hideo Saito, and started his career as conductor. He was a music director and principal conductor of the Tok ...

(February 1979 – May 1987†, Permanent Conductor) *

Yuzo Toyama is 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 h ...

(February 1979–present, Permanent Conductor) *

Hiroshi Wakasugi 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 Br ...

(April 1995 – July 2009†, Permanent Conductor) * Charles Dutoit (September 1996 – August 1998, Principal Conductor; September 1998 – August 2003, music director) *

(September 2004 – August 2007, music director) *

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(January 2010 – present, Permanent Conductor) *

, (October 2016 – August 2022, Chief Conductor) *

, (September 2022-, Chief Conductor)

Honorary Conductors and other titled conductors

(August 1951 – October 1985†) *

Joseph Keilberth Joseph Keilberth (19 April 1908 – 20 July 1968) was a German conductor who specialised in opera. Career He started his career in the State Theatre of his native city, Karlsruhe. In 1940 he became director of the German Philharmonic Orches ...

(January 1967 – July 1968†) *

Lovro von Matačić Lovro von Matačić (14 February 1899 – 4 January 1985) was a Croatian conductor and composer. Early life 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 s ...

(January 1967 – January 1985†) *

(January 1967 – October 1994; November 1994–February 2013†, Honorary Conductor Laureate) *

Otmar Suitner Otmar Suitner (German pronunciation: �ɔtmaʁ zuˈiːtnɐ 16 May 1922 – 8 January 2010) 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 Conduct ...

(January 1973 – January 2010†) *

Horst Stein Horst Walter Stein (born 2 May 1928 in Elberfeld, Germany; died 27 July 2008 in Vandœuvres, Switzerland) was a German conductor. Biography Stein's father was a mechanic. At school in Frankfurt, he studied piano, oboe, and singing. Later, ...

(March 1975 – July 2008†) *

(January 1986 – present) * Charles Dutoit (September 2003 – present, Music Director Emeritus) *

(September 2007 – present, Conductor Laureate) * André Previn (September 2012 – February 2019†, Honorary Guest Conductor)

References

External links

Official website of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo
{{Authority control Japanese orchestras Musical groups established in 1926 Radio and television orchestras 1926 establishments in Japan Musical groups from Tokyo NHK Symphony orchestras

History

Permanent Conductors and Music Directors

Honorary Conductors and other titled conductors

See also

References

External links