Mo. Taijiro Iimori, who was to conduct the Sakkyo Ninth Concert scheduled on December 26 and 27, 2020 is unable to join us due to acute Cholecystitis.

Instead of Mo. Iimori, Mo. Kazuyoshi Akiyama will be conducting the Sakkyo Ninth Concert.

There is no change in the program or in soloists.

Thank you for your understandings for this change.

【Biography】

Kazuyoshi Akiyama, conductor

Born in 1941, Kazuyoshi Akiyama studied conducting under Hideo Saito at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. Akiyama has held prestigious posts such as Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra (1973-1978) and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (1972-1985). During this time, Akiyama’s reputation spread to Europe and throughout North America, where he has been invited to conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the NDR Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and many others. He is the recipient of numerous highly prestigious honors in Japan including the Person of Cultural Merit (2014) for his outstanding cultural contributions. Akiyama currently holds the title of Conductor Laureate of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; Honorary Conductor for Life of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Permanent Conductor and Music Director of the Chubu Philharmonic Orchestra, Artistic Director and Special Professor of Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and Visiting Professor of Kyoto City University of Arts.