Ken'ichiro Kobayashi
Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi (小林 研一郎, Kobayashi Ken'ichirō, born April 9, 1940) is a Japanese conductor and composer.
Born in Iwaki, Fukushima, Kobayashi's father was a high school teacher, mother was a primary school teacher. Kobayashi started composing music at the age of 11. He attended the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studied composition and conducting under Mareo Ishiketa (composition), Kazuo Yamada (conducting), and Akeo Watanabe (conducting).
In 1974, Kobayashi won the 1st prize and the special award at the International Conductors Competition on Hungarian television. Since then, he has led orchestras in Germany, Austria, Britain and the Netherlands. Kobayashi has been resident conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. With the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, he served as principal conductor (1988–1990), chief conductor (1990–1994, 1997–2004), and music director (2004–2007). Kobayashi has served as principal guest conductor of the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kyusyu Symphony Orchestra. With the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, he was general music director from 1998 to 2001, music director from 2001 to 2003, and since 2003 is the orchestra's conductor laureate.
In Europe, Kobayashi served as principal conductor of the Hungarian State Symphony (now the Hungarian National Philharmonic) from 1987 to 1997, and is now conductor laureate of the orchestra. Kobayashi was the first Asian conductor to conduct the Czech Philharmonic at the Prague Spring International Music Festival, in 2002. He has since held a regular guest conductorship with the Czech Philharmonic. He was one of three conductors who primarily led the orchestra after the sudden resignation of Gerd Albrecht from the chief conductorship orchestra in 1996 and before the advent of Vladimir Ashkenazy in 1998.[1] In 2006, he became vaste dirigent ('permanent conductor') of Het Gelders Orkest of Arnhem, the Netherlands.
Kobayashi has taught at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he now holds an emeritus professorship. He is currently a visiting professor of Tokyo College of Music. His compositions include his Passacaglia for orchestra, in honour of the 400th anniversary of relations between Japan and the Netherlands in the year 2000. Kobayashi directed the premiere with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999.
Kobayashi's daughter Ayano Kobayashi is a pianist. His sister, Yuko Ichinose, is a soprano.
Kobayashi received the Liszt Memorial Decoration (1986), the Hungarian Order of Culture (1990), and the Middle Cross with the Star of the Order of the Republic of Hungary decoration (the highest civilian honour) from the Hungarian government in 1994.
References
- ^ James R. Oestreich (26 March 2000). "A Great Orchestra Dancing Past the Graveyard". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-13.