NHK Symphony Orchestra

The NHK Symphony Orchestra (NHK交響楽団, Enueichikei Kōkyō Gakudan) in Tokyo, Japan began as the New Symphony Orchestra on October 5, 1926 and was the country's first professional symphony orchestra. Later, it changed its name to Japan Symphony Orchestra and in 1951, after receiving financial support from NHK, it took its current name. It is considered to be the leading orchestra in Japan.

The headquarter of NHK Symphony Orchestra

Vladimir Ashkenazy is the radio orchestra's music director and Charles Dutoit is music director emeritus. Wolfgang Sawallisch serves as honorary conductor laureate.

In December 1962 the orchestra was a center of controversy when certain players, unhappy with the style and personality of conductor Seiji Ozawa, refused to play under him. Ozawa went on to conduct the rival Japan Philharmonic Orchestra instead.

Permanent Conductors and Music Directors

• Hidemaro Konoye (January 1926–February 1935)
• Josef König (April 1927–April 1929)
• Nicolai Schifferblatt (July 1929–July 1936)
• Joseph Rosenstock (August 1936–September 1946 full-time conductor; March 1956–March 1957 Principal Conductor)
• Hisatada Otaka (April 1942–February 1951† full-time conductor)
• Kazuo Yamada (April 1942–July 1951 full-time conductor)
• Shin'ichi Takata (April 1944–May 1951 full-time conductor)
• Kurt Wöss (September 1951–August 1954 Principal Conductor)
• Niklaus Aeschbacher (August 1954–March 1956 Principal Conductor)
• Wilhelm Loibner (March 1957–February 1959 Principal Conductor)
• Wilhelm Schüchter (February 1959–March 1962 Principal Conductor)
• Alexander Rumpf (August 1964–July 1965 Principal Conductor)
• Hiroyuki Iwaki (February 1969–June 2006† Permanent Conductor)
• Tadashi Mori (February 1979–May 1987† Permanent Conductor)
• Yuzo Toyama (February 1979– Permanent Conductor)
• Hiroshi Wakasugi (April 1995–July 2009† Permanent Conductor)
• Charles Dutoit (September 1996–August 1998 Principal Conductor; September 1998–August 2003 Music Director)
• Vladimir Ashkenazy (September 2004–August 2007 Music Director)
• André Previn, KBE (September 2009– Guest Principal Conductor)
• Tadaaki Otaka, CBE (January 2010– Permanent Conductor)

Honorary Conductors

• Joseph Rosenstock (August 1951–October 1985†)
• Joseph Keilberth (January 1967–July 1968†)
• Lovro von Matačić (January 1967–January 1985†)
• Wolfgang Sawallisch (January 1967–October 1994; November 1994– Honorary Conductor Laureate)
• Otmar Suitner (January 1973–January 2010†)
• Horst Stein (March 1975–July 2008†)
• Herbert Blomstedt (January 1986–)
• Charles Dutoit (September 2003– Music Director Emeritus)
• Vladimir Ashkenazy (September 2007– Conductor Laureate)

See also

• List of symphony orchestras

External links

• Official Web site