Chikara Imamura，Conductor
Born in 1954. Conductor of the Polish National Opera. Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music. Completed research student course at Toho Gakuen University. He studied under Karajan, Horvath, Ferrara, Seiji Ozawa, Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Tadaaki Otaka, and Masamitsu Takashina.
In 1977, he conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker and won the Karajan Competition Japan. In 1978, he studied abroad in Salzburg and Berlin at the invitation of Karajan. 1980 Italy Cantelli International Conductor Competition Best 4. Conducts the Scala Orchestra in Milan. In 1983, he won the 1st prize at the Wittelberg International Conductor Competition in Poland.
Since then, he has frequently conducted major Polish orchestras such as the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted many of the best orchestras in Europe and the United States (34 orchestras in 12 countries around the world), including the Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. In Japan, he has performed as a guest conductor with 24 major orchestras nationwide, including the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Yomikyo Symphony Orchestra, and the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra.
He also contributed to the founding of new orchestras such as Sinfonia Varsovia (Warsaw Symphony Orchestra, 1984-05), Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa (1988-1990), Tokyo Harmonia Chamber Orchestra (1990-1996), etc. successively served as the conductor of He has a reputation for his ability to develop into a first-class orchestra.
Since 1999, he has been the conductor of the Polish National Opera. In 2002, he became the first Japanese permanent conductor. In 2008 and February 2010, he led the “Japanese Evening” co-hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Poland, contributing to cultural exchange between the two countries. In 2009, he was the music director of the Italy-Belgium-Poland co-production "Samson and Delilah." He has conducted at some of the world's leading opera theaters, including Opera Spoleto in Italy and Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
He has worked as a conducting instructor at Kunitachi College of Music for 24 years, and is currently a visiting professor at Shobi Gakuen University. Music Director of the Tama Philharmonia Association, President of the Japan Lutoslawski Association. Active on the world stage.
★ Criticism:
Music magazine "Ruch Muzyczny (Music Trends)" May 31 issue / Józef Kanski = (ruch muzyczny 31 MAJA)
The music of this stage production, which was realized in collaboration with the Bologna and Liege Opera Houses and the Santander Music Festival in Switzerland, was meticulously guided throughout the entire length by Noh Imamura, an outstanding Japanese conductor. In 1983, he was the winner of the Grzegosz Vitelberg Conducting Competition in Katowice. Under his direction, the Wroclaw Opera Orchestra performed very well. The chorus, prepared under the guidance of Maugózata Olafska, also had beautiful singing voices, and portrayed the powerful aspects of the performance. What about the stage direction? There will be different opinions about this. (Translated by Rie Hiraiwa)
When it comes to conducting everything with an inspired, hauntingly focused conductor like Noh Imamura, nothing beats this artistic quality. Mandelssohn's Italian symphonies are rarely experienced first-hand, manipulated at will, meticulously combined and performed with rigor. Presence of mind and technical precision are perfected and combined. (Germany Neue Rhein Zeitung vom 2005.04.12)
★ Repertoire:
Opera "La Bohème" "Madame Butterfly" "Cavalleria Rusticana" "Samson and Delilah" "The Marriage of Figaro" "Cosi Fan Tutte" "Don Giovanni" "The Magic Flute" etc.
Symphonic works: Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, R. Strauss, Mahler, Bruckner, Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, etc.
★ Ensembles and theaters I have conducted:
Berliner Philharmoniker, North German Philharmonic Orchestra, Milan Scala Orchestra, RAI Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Milan Pomerridge Musicale Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Wind Ensemble, Salzburg Cathedral Orchestra, Prague Virtuosi, Czech Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra (Krakow, Silesia, Poznań Lodz, etc.), Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Danish Oahus Symphony Orchestra, West Virginia, USA Hibiki, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Shinsei Japan Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Osaka Century Symphony Orchestra, Kyoto City Symphony Orchestra, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Gunma Symphony Orchestra, Yamagata Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Tokyo Harmonia Chamber Orchestra, Nara Chamber Orchestra, Polish National Anthem Theater (Warsaw), Great National Theater in Lodz, Poland, Spoleto Opera, Italy, Enschede National Opera, Netherlands, Dutch National Dance Theater (The Hague), Stara Zagora National Opera, Bulgaria.
New National Theatre, Tokyo Chamber Opera, Tokyo Globe Theater, Osaka College of Music College Opera House, Kunitachi College of Music Opera Study Group, etc.
Polish National Opera Guest Conductor, Polish Wroclaw Opera Guest Conductor, Bulgarian National Stara Zagora Opera Guest Conductor, Kunitachi College of Music Conducting Lecturer, Tama Philharmonia Society Music Director, Japan Lutoslawski Association Vice President, Japan Performance He is a member of the Federation, a member of the Japan Conductors Association, and a member of the Tokyo Chamber Opera Conductor.
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photo credit
© Dariusz Gdesz