Mo. Taijiro Iimori, who was named to conduct the 631st Subscription Concert scheduled on October 23 and 24, is unable to attend the concert as he is diagnosed as acute cholecystitis and being hospitalized.

Mo. Kazufumi Yamashita will be conducting the concert.

There is no change in the program and soloist appearing.

Thank you for your understandings.

【631st Subscription Concert】

Date and Time: 7pm on Friday, October 23, and 2pm on Saturday, October 24.

Venue: Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara

Kazufumi Yamashita, conductor, and Naoka Aoki, violin

Weber/ Oberon Overture

Bruch/ Scottish Fantasy op. 46

Beethoven/ Symphony No. 6 in F major op. 68 “Pastoral”

※Mo. Dmitry SITKOVETSKY, conductor and violin, was to appear in this concert originally, however due to immigration limitation, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra has announced a change in the appearing artists and program. We apologize for this unforeseen change.

We also like to express deep gratitude to Mo. Kazufumi Yamashita, who kindly accepted our invitation in such a short notice.

【Biography】

Kazufumi Yamashita, conductor

Graduated Toho Gakuen College in 1985, Kazufumi Yamashita continued his study at Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK. He won first prize at Denmark’s 1986 Malko Competition for Young Conductors, and has assisted Herbert von Karajan since December 1985 until he passed away. His career in Europe includes conducting orchestra including Danish State Radio Symphony Orchestra, and has been Principal Guest Conductor of Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra in Sweden (1993-1998).

His debut in Japan was in 1988 with the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, and has been appearing in major orchestras regularly. Yamashita was Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa (1992-1993), Regular Conductor of the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra (1996-1999), and Regular Conductor of the College Opera House Orchestra, Osaka College of Music (2002-2008). From 2006, he is the conductor of the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, presenting R. Stauss “Ein Heidenleben,” Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade,” Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, No. 4, which were recorded and made into CD. Yamashita has been awarded “The 17th Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Music Award” by conducting Verdi’s Falstaff and in April 2009, he appeared in the Subscription Concert of St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra with much success. In February 2011, he premiered Schumann’s Opera “Genoveva” in Japan and in January 2013 and March 2016, carried out Opera “Castle Tower Story” by Shuko Mizuno, which led that Yamashita is the conductor building up his career both in opera and symphonies. From April 2016, he is Artistic Director of Chiba Symphony Orchestra. He is professor in conducting at the Tokyo University of the Arts.