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Danish National Symphony Orchestra
From the final round of the Malko International Conducting Competition.
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
From the final round of the Malko International Conducting Competition.
Mariinsky Orchestra
Shizuo Z Kuwahara
The First Prize winner of the prestigious Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in Frankfurt, Germany, Shizuo Z Kuwahara is a principal guest conductor of The Mariinsky Theatre, Russia. His conducting career ascended rapidly after winning the Solti Competition, leading to conducting invitations from Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchesters Saarbrücken, Polish Chamber Orchestra, L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, and Frankfurt Museumsorchester. With the invitation from Valery Gergiev, Kuwahara made a sensational debut at The Mariinsky Theatre with the production of Verdi’s La Traviata in 2018, which resulted in a long term relationship with the company. He was immediately invited back to conduct Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Puccini’s Tosca, Verdi’s Macbeth and several orchestral programs. He has recently made a debut with The Mariinsky Ballet Company, conducting the premiere production of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. This season, he is scheduled to conduct Bizet’s Carmen, Puccini’s Turandot and several other opera, ballet and orchestral productions.
A Japanese-American residing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Mr. Kuwahara has led performances throughout Europe, North & South America, and Asia, including performances with Frankfurt Museum Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica de Salta, Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Osaka, Denmark National Symphony Orchestra, and Wrocław Philharmonic. He was also an assistant and cover conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony and Orchestra de Paris.
Mr. Kuwahara was with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a staff conductor and the League of American Orchestras conducting fellow, covering and leading numerous concerts as an apprentice to Christoph Eschenbach. Other past positions include assistant conductor to Seiji Ozawa at the Saito Kinen Festival, conducting the Ozawa Jyuku Orchestra. He also served as an assistant conductor to Valery Gergiev at the Pacific Music Festival. At the beginning of his career, Mr. Kuwahara served as Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Activities at the College of William & Mary and American University, as well as an associate conductor of the Virginia Symphony. He has served as the music director of Augusta Symphony in Georgia, USA.
In addition to winning the first prize at the Solti Competition, he received additional prizes from the Malko International Conducting Competition, Ionel Perlea International Conducting Competition, Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting, the Prokofiev International Conducting Competition and Fitelberg International Competition. He is also a recipient of Georg Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, Georgia Trend 2011 40 Under 40, Augusta Region’s Top Ten in Ten Young Professionals, 2011 Greater Augusta Arts Council Art Professional Award, and 2011 S&R Washington Award. Since 2016, he serves as the Ambassador of Tourism of the City of Yokkaichi, Japan, a city where Mr. Kuwahara grew up.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Kuwahara received Master’s Degree of conducting at Yale University, where he was awarded the Charles Ives Full Scholarship and the Eleazar de Carvalho Prize. He has Bachelor’s Degree from Eastman School of Music, and awarded Arts Leadership Program Certificate, Performer's Certificate and the George Eastman Scholarship. In addition to studying with David Effron and Lawrence Leighton Smith at these conservatories, Mr. Kuwahara has also studied with Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Timothy Muffitt and Michael Jinbo at various conducting institutions, including Aspen Music Festival National Conducting Institute, Pierre Monteux School, and Chautauqua Music Institute.
Discography
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Newsletters
Second Prize at Ionel Perlea International Conducting Competition with Performance Engagements
About Shizuo Z Kuwahara
Opera Brașov
Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu
Photos from The Competition
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The Netherland Debut Online Concert with Phion Orkest
Dutch Viola Concerti Recording Project
U.S. Performance with Virginia Symphony
Performances at The Mariinsky Theatre
Truth Hidden within the Score
Photos from Previous Performances
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Projects in time of Quarantine
Orchestras Around the World
Editing Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10
U.S. Performance 2021 with VSO
Photos and Video Clips
Become a Fan! Patreon Membership
Documentary: Conduct! Every Move Count
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February & March Performances
Ballet - Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé (Premiere Performances)
Opera - Puccini: Tosca
The Mariinsky Orchestra
Panda Wind Orchestra
Photos from Previous Performances
Become a Fan! Patreon Membership
Documentary: Conduct! Every Move Count
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NEW! Patreon Membership
December Concerts
The Russia-Japan Cultural Bridge
Sergei Babayan and The Mariinsky Orchestra
Verdi: Macbeth
Photos from Previous Performances
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Principal Guest Conductor - Mariinsky Theatre, Primorsky Stage
Inaugural Performances as the Principal Guest Conductor
New Representation in North and South America
Documentary: Conduct! Every Move Count
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The Mariinsky Theatre - Verdi: La Traviata
The Mariinsky Theatre - Verdi: Macbeth
Philharmonic Winds Osaka with Chris Martin
Documentary: Conduct! Every Move Count
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The Mariinsky Theatre - Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin
Osaka Symphony - Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
The Mariinsky Orchestra - Bach - Brahms Program
Documentary: Conduct! Every Move Count
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Japan
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Shizuo Z Kuwahara
The First Prize winner of the prestigious Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in Frankfurt, Germany, Shizuo Z Kuwahara is the principal guest conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre, Primorsky Stage. His conducting career ascended rapidly after winning the Solti Competition, leading to conducting invitations from the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchesters Saarbrücken, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Nice Philharmonic, and Frankfurt Museumsorchester. Kuwahara will be performing with various orchestras this season including Seattle Symphony, Osaka Symphony, Hiroshima Symphony and Wrocław Philharmonic.
Mr. Kuwahara has led performances throughout North & South America, Europe, and Asia, including performances with Frankfurt Museum Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfonica de Salta, Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Kosei Wind Ensemble, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Century Orchestra Osaka, Nagoya Philharmonic, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Polish Chamber Philharmonic, Denmark National Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Slaska, Sinfonieorchester den Nationalen Philharmonischen Gesellshaft der Uklaine Kiew, German Radio Symphony Orchestra and L’Orchestre Pasdeloup. He has also acted as musical assistant and cover conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony and Orchestra de Paris.
Mr. Kuwahara was with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a League of American Orchestras conducting fellow, covering and leading numerous concerts as an apprentice to Christoph Eschenbach. Other past positions include assistant conductor to Seiji Ozawa at the Saito Kinen Festival in summer of 2008, conducting the Ozawa Jyuku Orchestra. He spent his summer of 2006 in Sapporo, Japan serving as an assistant conductor to Valery Gergiev at the Pacific Music Festival. At the beginning of his career, Mr. Kuwahara served as Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Activities at the College of William & Mary and American University, as well as an associate conductor of the Virginia Symphony. He has recently concluded 7 years tenure as the music director of Symphony Orchestra Augusta.
In addition to winning the first prize at the Solti Competition, he received additional prizes from the Malko International Conducting Competition, Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting, the Prokofiev International Conducting Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia and Fitelberg International Competition in Katowice, Poland. He is also a recipient of Georg Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, Georgia Trend 2011 40 Under 40 - Georgia’s Best & Brightest, Augusta Region’s Top Ten in Ten Young Professionals, 2011 Greater Augusta Arts Council Art Professional Award, and 2011 S&R Washington Award. The City of Yokkaichi, Japan recently appointed him as an Ambassador of Tourism, a city where Mr. Kuwahara grew up.
Born in Tokyo, Mr. Kuwahara received Master’s Degree studied conducting at Yale University, where he was awarded the Charles Ives Full Scholarship and awarded the Eleazar de Carvalho Prize. At the Eastman School of Music, he received Bachelor’s Degree and Arts Leadership Program Certificate, with honorable recognition of Performer's Certificate and the George Eastman Scholarship. In addition to studying with David Effron and Lawrence Leighton Smith at these conservatories, Mr. Kuwahara has also studied with Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Timothy Muffitt and Michael Jinbo at various conducting institutions, including Aspen, the National Conducting Institute, the Pierre Monteux School, and the Chautauqua Music Institute.
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