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| Conductor |
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| Taijiro Iimori |
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Taijiro Iimori, Conductor |
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Taijiro Iimori is one of Japan's most distinguished conductors, widely respected for his broad repertoire and particularly as a strong advocate of Wagner, whose works he is dedicated to introducing to audiences in his native country.
After receiving his musical training at the Toho Gakuen Junior College, Mr Iimori made his opera debut with a production of Puccini's Suor Angelica by the Fujiwara Opera Company, thus beginning a career strongly associated to the world of lyric theatre. He went on to win prizes at the Dimitri Mitropoulos International Music Competition for Conductors (1966), and at the First Herbert von Karajan International Conducting Competition (1969).
Taijiro Iimori currently holds the positions of Principal Conductor at the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra (since September 1997) and the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra (since January 2001) and has been praised for his exciting programming in both cities. Highlights of recent seasons include a semi-staged version of Wagner's Ring Cycle and performances of the complete works of Beethoven. As Principal Conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic, a post he held from April 1993-March 1998, he earned the Agency for Cultural Affairs' 1996 Arts Award for a live recording of the Philharmonic's Thirtieth Anniversary Concert in Tokyo.
As well as Japan, Taijiro Iimori is active in Europe, particulary German,
where he has held, and continues to hold various posts, notably at the
Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth where he has been a music assistant
since 1970. From 1970 - 1973 he was Resident Conductor at the Nationaltheater
Mannheim and during this time he won the Education Minister's Art Encouragement
Prize for Freshmen (1972), the prize for ‘Best Conductor of the Season'
in Barcelona Gran Thetro del Liceu, Spain (1972). In the same year he conducted
the Vienna Symphony Orchestra at the Vienna Festival and a year later was
invited to conduct at the Teatro comunale di Bologna. Mr Iimori went on
to hold posts as Resident Conductor at the Hamburg State Opera, the Städtische
Bühnen, Regensburg and from 1978 to 1983 he was principal conductor
of the Enschede Opera Forum, where he continues to be orchestra advisor
to the Enschede City Conservatory Orchestra.
Mr. Iimori has six recordings released on Fontec, five with the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, and one with the New Symphony Orchestra, all of which have been received to great acclaim: his recording Bruckner Symphony No. 4 was one of Gramophone Japan's March 2000 Critic's Best Choice 3.
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