Asia Orchestra Week 2024

Established in 1979, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra is dedicated not only to subscription concerts but also to music education for Singaporean youth. In 2021, it was awarded the 3rd place in “Orchestra of the Year” by Gramophone, a UK magazine, and was ranked among the world’s best orchestras by BBC Music Magazine the following year. Hans Graf was appointed 3rd Music Director. The orchestra made its debut at the 120th BBC Proms in London in 2014, receiving high praise from UK dailies, the Guardian and the Telegraph. In May 2016, it performed at the Dresden Music Festival and the Prague Spring International Music Festival. For the 2024/25 season, the orchestra plans performances at the Asia Orchestra Week in Kyoto and a three-city tour in Australia.

Official site

Austrian-born Hans Graf became Music Director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in 2022. He has previously held the position of Music Director with the Houston Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, the Basque National Orchestra, and Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg. Graf has collaborated with numerous prestigious orchestras in Europe and North America, as well as participating in various music festivals and opera houses. He is known for his extensive repertoire and innovative programming.

French pianist, Hélène Grimaud entered Conservatoire de Paris at the early age of thirteen and won the 1st prize in piano performance three years later. In 1987, she was invited by Daniel Barenboim to perform with Orchestre de Paris, and she has since performed repeatedly with major orchestras worldwide. She has been an exclusive artist with Deutsche Grammophon since 2002. Aside from her music, Grimaud is also known for her environmental activities dedicated to the conservation of endangered wolves.

Founded in 1956, the City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra is the only orchestra in Japan established and operated by a local government. In 2015, along with Hirokami Junichi, it won the 46th Suntory Music Award and had a successful European tour in June of the same year. The orchestra received several prizes at the 37th Music Critics Club Award in 2017. Okisawa Nodoka became the 14th Chief Conductor in April 2023, and Jan Willem de Vriend took the role of Principal Guest Conductor starting in April 2024. The orchestra aims to further its reputation as a world-class ensemble representing the cultural and artistic city of Kyoto.

Official site

Otomo Naoto made his debut conducting the NHK Symphony Orchestra while studying at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. He has held positions as Principal Conductor/Music Director of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor of the City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Gunma Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he is Honorary Guest Conductor of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of the City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra, and Artistic Director of the Takasaki City Theatre. Otomo also serves as Professor at the Osaka University of Arts, Specially Appointed Professor at the Toho College of Music, and Visiting Professor at the Kyoto City University of Arts and the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.

Born in 1998, LEO won the Japanese Hogaku Music Competition in Kumamoto at the age of sixteen, becoming the youngest winner in its history. He has performed with renowned conductors such as Sebastian Weigle, Michiyoshi Inoue, Masato Suzuki, and Kazuyoshi Akiyama, and with orchestras including the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared on television programs like “Jounetsu-Tairiku,” “Untitled Concert,” and “Tetsuko-no-Heya.” LEO was the first koto player to give a live concert at Blue Note Tokyo. He also garnered attention for his performance at the Summer Sonic.