Kazuyoshi Akiyama

Kazuyoshi Akiyama began his musical life at the age of three studying the piano with his mother, a highly regarded instructor in Tokyo. He entered the piano department of Toho Gakuen School of Music, and was strongly influenced by the conducting activities of one student, Seiji Ozawa.

Akiyama quickly changed to the conducting department and was soon studying under Hideo Saito. In February 1974, a year after graduating, Akiyama made his debut with The Tokyo Symphony.

The tremendous success of this collaboration led to his nomination for and acceptance of the dual post of Music Director and Permanent Conductor just two months later, a position he maintains today.

Overseas, this artist’s conducting successes began with U.S. and European tours of the Toho Gakuen School of Music Orchestra. Maestro Akiyama quickly went on to guest conduct ensembles including the Toronto Symphony, American Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras. He gained recognition in guest engagements with the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. His reputation spread to Europe, and he was invited to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Cologne Radio Orchestra, and Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchestra.

His many professional posts have included Assistant Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1968-1969), Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra, following Leopold Stokowski, in New York, (1973-78), and Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (1972-85).

Maestro Akiyama was granted the title of Conductor Laureate of the Vancouver symphony upon leaving his post there in 1985.

From 1985 to 1993, Maestro Akiyama held the post of Music Director of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. In the upcoming 2004-05 season he will be the Principal Guest Conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

In 1991, Kazuyoshi Akiyama led The Tokyo Symphony in a successful world tour to celebrate the orchestra’s 45th anniversary, which included performances in New York at the United Nations, as well as in London under the auspices of the United Kingdom’s Japan Festival. More recently, he commemorated his 30th year as Music Director and Permanent Conductor of The Tokyo Symphony and also the orchestra’s 400th subscription performance in a concert performance of Schoenberg’s Moses und Aaron, the first Japanese performance of that work.

Maestro Akiyama will have a show with Canadian violinist Scott St. John. 

A rarely performed gem of the orchestral repertoire from Bartók, rounds out this miraculous concert that also features a tribute to Jean Coulthard on the 100th anniversary of her birth.
The show entitled Miraculous Mandarin! is set on Mar 1-3 at 8p.m. in the Orpheum Theatre.

 

For more information visit: www.vancouversymphony.ca or www.city.vancouver.bc.ca.