The 681st Subscription Concert 2026.November.14（Sat）15:00～
/ November.15（Sun）15:00～ Sapporo Concert Hall; Kitara

© Y.Fujii

Elias GRANDY＜chief conductor＞（conductor）

Elias Grandy’s international profile is rapidly rising by conducting first-class orchestras and opera productions in Europe, America and Asia. Hailed by the press as “passionate and full of temperament”, “vigorous and equally precise” and praised for his ability to “grasp psychological subtleties under a microscope”, the German-Japanese conductor gave recently highly successful debuts with renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony, Osaka Philharmonic and Minnesota Orchestra. In 23/24 the energetic, charismatic conductor will return to Frankfurt Radio Symphony, National Youth Orchestra of Germany and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Tokyo and give debuts with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmonica de Buenos Aires and the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken. Furthermore, he will take the Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie Chemnitz on a tour to Poland as their “conductor in residence” for 23/24 and appear frequently with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he enjoys a close relationship for many years. Elias is equally devoted as an opera conductor, feeling passionately about theatre and musically shaping the narrative of each drama. In recent years he has conducted highly acclaimed productions of Elektra and Carmen at Minnesota Opera, Werther and A Village Romeo and Juliet at Frankfurt Opera, Un ballo in maschera at Aalto-Theatre Essen, Carmen at Opera Nikikai Tokyo and Rusalka at Portland Opera. Future engagements include the Semperoper Dresden and reinvitations to Frankfurt Opera and Opera Nikikai Tokyo. Last season he finished his tenure as music director of Heidelberg’s Opera and Philharmonic orchestra where he significantly raised the caliber of both, providing thoughtful, innovative programming and burnishing the city’s fast-growing reputation as a vital musical hub. Enthusiastic about making music more accessible, he introduced several highly popular concert formats for young people and an educated audience. His final season programme included Prokofjev’s Love for Three Oranges, Bruckner’s Symphony No.7 and a series of unknown works by female composers. Born of German-Japanese parents Elias studied cello and conducting in Munich, Basel, and Berlin. He worked as a cellist in orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Komische Oper Berlin. He started his conducting career as Resident Conductor at Staatstheater Darmstadt and shortly after won the prestigious Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. In 2015 he was named music director in Heidelberg, a position he held until 2023. Grandy was a member of the Orchestra Academy (cello) in 2004, and of the Conducting Academy in 2012. In 2024 he made his return to PMF as Guest Conductor.

Eri NAKAMURA（soprano）

Nakamura is an alumna of the Osaka College of Music, the Opera Studio at the New National Theatre Tokyo, the Opera Studio Nederland and the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House. Whilst on the Programme, roles at Covent Garden roles included Musetta La bohème, Frasquita Carmen, and Lauretta Gianni Schicchi. Upon her graduation from the programme, she returned to Covent Garden as a guest to sing Susanna Le nozze di Figaro under Sir Colin Davis and Sophie Werther under Sir Antonio Pappano, which was recorded by Deutsche Grammophon.
On the concert platform, recent highlights include Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Japan and Osaka Philharmonic and Tokyo Philharmonic orchestras, Mahler Symphony No.4 and Rossini Stabat Mater under Yannick Nézet-Séguin with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, St Cecilia Mass with Alain Altinoglou and Orchestre National de France, Dvorak Stabat Mater with the Czech Philharmonic, Ravel Shéhérazade with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and Woglinde Das Rheingold with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and Jaap van Zweden.
Between 2010-2016, Nakamura was a member of the ensemble at the Bayerische Staatsoper where roles included Adina L'elisir d'amore, Gretel Hänsel und Gretel, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Pamina Die Zauberflöte, Woglinde, Zerlina Don Giovanni, Frasquita Carmen, and Giulietta I Capuleti e I Montecchi.
Previously she sang Woglinde Götterdämmerung as part of National Taichung Theater's four year Ring Cycle programme, directed by Carlus Padrissa, Mimi at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile, Woglinde with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Clorinda La Cenerentola at the Wiener Staatsoper, Susanna Le nozze di Figaro at the New National Theatre Tokyo and Hyogo performing Arts Centre, and Liù Turandot at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opera de Oviedo and Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse. Other recent highlights include Juliette Roméo et Juliette at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile, Gilda Rigoletto at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Salzburger Landestheater, and Pamina Die Zauberflöte for Washington National Opera.
Recent highlights include her role debut Cio-Cio San at the New National Theatre, Tokyo, later performing the same role in her return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and in concert with the Hallé (Sir Mark Elder). She also sang her first Magda La Rondine at Biwako Hall and appeared in concert with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven's 9th Symphony) and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (Ravel Shéhérazade).
During the 2023/24 season, Nakamura makes her debut appearances with the Royal Swedish Opera as Cio-Cio San Madama Butterfly and English National Opera in 7 Deaths of Maria Callas. In 2022/23 she performed Toshio Hosokawa Hanjo in a co-production by the Catapult Opera of New York and Fondazione Haydn di Bolzano, and Mimi La boheme in Tokyo, also appearing in concert with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Pannon Philharmonic and in a Verdi Gala for the Scottish Opera.

Ikuko NAKAJIMA（mezzosoprano）

Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, received the Yasutaka Prize and the Toshi Matsuda Award. After completing the solo singing course at the same graduate school, she studied at the Milan Municipal Conservatory. After returning to Japan, she appeared in Nikikai "Il Trovatore" Azcena, "Madama Butterfly" Suzuki, Nissei Theater "The Barber of Seville" Rosina, and Biwako Hall's "Valkyrie" Flicka. In recent years, she has made her presence known in Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana conducted by A. Battistoni, as well as in the Nikikai trilogy; The Duchess of Angelica and Titta in Gianni Schicchi and Quickly in Falstaff. She was also Mercedes in Carmen by New National Theatre, and in Salome conducted by C. Dutoit at the Osaka International Festival. In concerts, she has also been a soloist in Mozart and Verdi's "Requiem" and Mahler's "Symphony No. 3", and has received high praise. She won many prizes, including the 2nd prize at the 14th Rocca delle Matier International Vocal Music Competition (Italy) and the 2nd prize in the opera section of the 72nd Japan Music Competition. Member of the Nikikai

© FUKAYA auraY2

Kazuma KUDO（tenor）

Born in Iwate Prefecture. Graduated from the Department of Vocal Music, Faculty of Music, and completed a Master of Vocal Music at the Graduate School of Music, at the Tokyo University of the Arts. Studied vocal music under Kazuho Obara, Tomoya Sasaki, and Taro Ichihara.
Has won 1st Prize and the Song Award (Takiko Okabe/Sadako Mine Award) at the 53rd Nichii Seigaku Concorso, and 2nd Place (top place) and the Audience Award in the Vocal Category at the 17th Tokyo Music Competition. Also won 1st Prize at the 2nd Concorso Lirico Internazionale Giuditta Pasta Kumamoto in 2023, and 3rd Prize at the 3rd Concorso Lirico Internazionale Giuditta Pasta held in Saronno, Italy in May 2024.
Opera appearances to date include as Cavaradossi in the Nissay Opera production of Tosca, as Tebaldo in the Nissay Opera production of I Capuleti e i Montecchi, as Ismaele in the Fujisawa Citizen Opera's production of Nabucco, as Grigoriy Otrepyev (False Dmitry) in the New National Theater Tokyo's production of Boris Godunov, and as Rodolfo in the production of La Bohème for the Educational Programme for High School Students by the New National Theatre Tokyo. Concert appearances include as the tenor soloist at the Tokyu Silvester Concert 2019-2020 performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.
Scheduled appearances in 2024 include as Cavaradossi in the production of Tosca for the Educational Programme for High School Students by the New National Theatre Tokyo, as Rodolfo in the All Japan Opera Co-Production Project (eight performances in seven cities) production of La Bohème conducted by Michiyoshi Inoue, in the Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo's performance of Verdi's Requiem, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra's TMSO Special performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

© 武藤章

Yasushi HIRANO（bass）

Hirano graduated at the top of his class from the Nihon University College of Art and the master’s degree course of the Vienna University for Music and Arts. He studied with Yoshie Sue, Rotraud Hansmann and Robert Holl. The year 2023 is the 15th anniversary of his stage debut. Following an extremely busy period performing in approximately 500 productions as a member of the Graz Opera and Vienna Volksoper, Hirano is currently active as a Vienna-based soloist in operas and orchestra concerts.
In Europe, Yasushi Hirano has appeared frequently in concert halls such as the Vienna Musikverein and Berlin Philharmonie, with many renowned conductors including Yutaka Sado and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He has also given consecutive performances in Turandot and Carmen in the Bregenz Festival Opera on the Lake. In Japan, Hirano has appeared in Don Giovanni at the New National Theatre in Tokyo, La Boheme at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center, and The Master-Singers of Nurenburg at Biwako Hall, as well as performances of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the New Japan Philharmonic conducted by Yutaka Sado, and the “German Requiem” with the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra conducted by Norichika Iimori.
In the 2023-24 season, Hirano’s performances in Europe include The Magic Flute at the Volksoper. In Japan, in addition to appearing in Don Giovanni at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center, and subscriptions concerts of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tadaaki Otaka and the Gunma Symphony Orchestra conducted by Norichika Iimori, Hirano will give a recital at Sakura Hall (Shibuya Cultural Center Owada) celebrating the 15th anniversary of his debut. Hirano has released the CD Schubert: Winterreise on the Nippon Acoustic Records label.