ARTISTS

Conductor KUROIWA Hideomi

PROFILE

Born in Tokyo, Hideomi Kuroiwa entered the prestigious Toho Gakuen School of Music, studying conducting under the late Hideo Saito. During that time, he distinguished himself with a wide range of activities - conducting the school orchestra, appearing on stage, in the media (including on NHK Television as a violist) and performing as pianist in many concerts.
 
After graduating in 1965, he was featured as ‘young artist of the year' on NHK television. In that same year, he made a decision to become a monk, and led a life in a monastery until 1975. It was there that he devoted himself into the study of theology, philosophy, latin, Gregorian chant, polyphony, and conducted and composed liturgical music.
 
In 1976, Mr. Kuroiwa returned to the classical music world and after conducting the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra was hailed as “a new star showing quality that has not been seen for a long while.” In order to pursue further studies, he participated as Koussevitzky Memorial Fellowship Conductor at the Berkshire Music Centre in the summer of 1978.
 
Mr. Kuroiwa has appeared regularly in subscription concerts with most major orchestras across Japan, such as the Kansai Philharmonic, Sapporo Symphony, Nagoya Philharmonic, Kyushu Symphony.
 
Inspired by his personal faith as a Christian, Mr. Kuroiwa is deeply drawn to religious music, and his performances of oratorios, requiems, and masses have received great praise for the passion of his music making. Early in 2000, his performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion at Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall in tribute to the composer's 250th anniversary was acclaimed as “the performance with a strong belief, which moved the hearts of those listening.”
 
Mr. Kuroiwa has held positions with major orchestras such as: the position of the Chief Conductor of the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra between September 1981 and April 1988, as the Permanent Conductor for Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra and Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra between April 1988 and March 1994. He assumed the position of Music Director at Yamagata Symphony Orchestra between September 2001 and March 2004.
 
He is currently Assistant Professor at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo.
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