Junichi Hirokami
Representation: Europe
Music Director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Junichi Hirokami began his career at the age of 26 with a victory at the first Kondrashin International Conducting Competition in Amsterdam. The distinguished jury of the competition included Bernard Haitink and Vladimir Ashkenazy, the latter subsequently inviting him to conduct the NHK Symphony Orchestra during on a tour of Japan. The success of that tour was followed by another collaboration with Ashkenazy and the Orchestre National de Paris.
Since 1990 Hirokami has conducted several major orchestras in Europe, including the Concertgebouw, the Oslo and Stockholm Philharmonics, the Vienna Symphony, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra. Between 1988 and 1995 he worked with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in Sweden where, during his tenure as Chief Conductor, he recorded for the Swedish “BIS” and Japanese “Fun House” labels, toured the orchestra to Japan, and oversaw the building of a state-of-the-art concert hall. From 1997-2000 he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, achieving great success directing choral works including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Brahms’ German Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, and Haydn’s Creation.
In 1989 Hirokami made his operatic debut in a new production of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera with the Australian Opera in Sydney. He was immediately re-invited to conduct Rigoletto in 1990 and La Forza del Destino in 1992. He was the first Japanese conductor to direct the Israel Philharmonic and continues his appearances there every two years, under special engagement.
Hirokami launched his North American career in 1996 with the Toronto Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Dallas Symphony. He has been invited back regularly to each of these orchestras. Other recent engagements include Baltimore, Cincinnati Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, St Louis, Seattle and Vancouver.
In the UK, Hirokami had a sensational debut in April 2000 with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, following overwhelming successes with the London Philharmonic, London Symphony and several of the regional and BBC Orchestras. He has worked regularly with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 1992, and recorded with them several times for Denon -- including a highly praised release of Mahler Symphony No. 4 and Berlioz Symphony Fantastique.
The Japan Philharmonic named Maestro Hirokami its Principal Guest Conductor in 1991. Other regular engagements in Japan include concerts with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Osaka Philharmonic, Nagoya Philharmonic and Sapporo Symphony. Engagements in Europe and the States in recent seasons include repeat invitations to the Norrkoping Symphony and Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, as well as performances with the Bilbao Symphony, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig.
Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact Hazard Chase to ensure that you receive the most up to date version.
Email: Emily Good
