Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra & Shigeo Genda
Biography Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra & Shigeo Genda
Shigeo Genda
Born in Tokyo in March 1959, Mr. Shigeo Genda began studying the cello with Katsuo Shimizu. He majored in conducting at the Tokyo Music College, studying under Yasuhiko Shiozawa and Sei-ichi Mitsuishi and, at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, under Kohtaro Satoh. In 1983, he was the recipient of the Nomura Scholarship. In 1986, following his opera debut conducting the Niki-kai Opera Foundation in Hansel und Gretel, he continued with the Niki-kai Opera in such performances as Die Fledermaus, at the same time steadily building his achievements with orchestra concerts.
In September of 1987, he was appointed conductor of the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra. The next year in April, at the Japan Shinsei Symphony’s 108th Subscription Concert, he drew the attention of the music world when he conducted Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in a striking orchestral debut.
Since appearing that same year in October, as guest conductor with the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra on their Japan Tour, he has led Japan’s most important orchestras, receiving wide acclaim. In 1996, he was appointed conductor of the Kanagawa Philharmoic Orchstra and, since September 2000, he is in the post of the principal conductor of the orchestra.
Not confining his activities to Japan, Genda is an outstanding talent who continues to make rapid progress as an international conductor.
In May and June of 1990, he toured Europe with the Japan Shinsei Symphony and, from October of that same year, he studied at the Vienna Staatsoper at government expense as an overseas artistic research student from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. In January and February of 1991, he was praised highly for his work as the Prague National Theatre Orchestra’s guest conductor on their Japan Tour.
In May 1993, he appeared at the internationally watched Prague Spring International Music Festival, winning a favorable reception from audiences. He was invited to this Festival in May 1995, and has been chosen to be on the judging committee of the Conductors Section of the Prague Spring International Music Competition.
Genda is expanding his talent as an opera conductor with extensive experience in the orchestra pit. In 1994, he conducted Orphee aux enfers with the Hokkaido Niki-kai Opera Foundation in February, Le nozze de Figaro in Tokyo and Hiroshima in March, and Das Rheingold with the Kansai Niki-kai Opera Foundation in October. In July of 1995, he conducted the Tokyo Niki-kai Opera Foundation’s performance of Die Csardasfurstin. In 1996, he followed the March performance of Don Giovanni with the April performance of Le nozze de Figaro the May performance of Die Zauberflote, and, in October, toured Japan with Sato Shinobu. In may of 1997, he conducted the Kansai Niki-kai Opera Foundation’s production of Die Walkure. In 2001, he was a music director of the Japan Arts production’s Cosi fan tutte.
Future plans include the March 2003 performance with the Kansai Nikikai Opera Foundation’s production of Il Trovatore, and Die Fledermaus with Yokohama City Opera.
And in 2004, he will be a music director of Japan Arts Production Il Barbiere di Seviglia, and following September, he conducts as a guest conductor with the Slovak National Theatre’s La Traviata on their Japan Tour.
Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra
was established in March 1970. In July 1978 it was authorized by the Kanagawa Prefectural Government as Incorporated Foundation and followed by as Public Interest Incorporated Foundation in April 2014.
We have been operating widely in the whole Kanagawa Prefecture area carrying the mission to contribute to the music associated culture of Kanagawa Prefecture.
Kentaro Kawase has been the principal conductor of KPO, the youngest of all in Japan, since April 2014 and Kazuhiro Koizumi, the special guest conductor also since April 2014. That is how we are paid attention. We also are proactively engaged in music education having many concerts for children from one place to another. That way we are letting them know how attractive music is through such events by us KPO members with the children, which is very much in favor helping increase the number of next generation fans of KPO.
In addition we are having volunteer concerts at various care homes around every year as well as travelling to other places of Japan.
Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra is so far given Ando Tametsugu Educational Memorial Award in 1983, Kanagawa Bunkasho ( Cultural ) Award in 1989, NHK Local Broadcast Cultural Award, and Yokohama Cultural Award in 2007.
