JUNICHI HIROKAMI

Born in Tokyo, Junichi Hirokami graduated from Tokyo College of Music, at first studying piano and composition, thereafter conducting. In 1984, at the age of 26, he won the first Kondrashin International Conducting Competition in Amsterdam.

Since 1990, Junichi Hirokami has appeared worldwide as a guest conductor with major orchestras such as the Orchestre National de France, Berlin Radio Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, Symphonique de Montréal, Israel Philharmonic, London Symphony and Wiener Symphoniker. Apart from guest appearances, he has been appointed Chief Conductor of Sweden's Norrköping Symphony, Chief Conductor of Limburg Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Principal Conductor of Japan Philharmonic and Music Director of the Columbus Symphony. In recent years, he has conducted the Vancouver Symphony, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, the Moscow Tchaikovsky Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony and the Gewandhaus-Orchester Leipzig. In Japan, he has conducted all the major orchestras, among which the NHK Symphony and the Saito Kinen Orchestra. He also received great acclaim for his appearance with the Mito Chamber Orchestra.

Apart from symphonic repertoire, Hirokami is prolific in opera as well, having led celebrated performances of "Un Ballo in Maschera", "Rigoletto" at the Sydney Opera House, as well as "La Traviata" at the Fujiwara Opera, "Le Nozze di Figaro", "Ainadamar" (a contemporary opera by Argentinian composer O. Golijov) at the Nissay Theatre, and "La Traviata" and "Aida" at Tokyo’s New National Theatre.

From 2008 to 2022 Hirokami has achieved a golden era as Chief Conductor as well as Music and Artistic Advisor of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra; they were both awarded with the prestigious Suntory Music Award in 2015.

Currently Hirokami is “Artistic Leader” of Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Artistic Advisor at Japan Philharmonic and “Friendship Conductor” at Sapporo Symphony.

He also teaches conducting at Tokyo College of Music.