Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura returns to lead the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in its fourth season concert on December 18 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) at 8 pm.
Program consists of Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture,” Faure’s “Pelleas et Melisande Suite” and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2 “Little Russian”.
Recognized as one of the famous maestros in Japan, Yoshikazu Fukumura is the former music director of the Tokyo Ballet, Kyoto Municipal Symphony, and Nagoya Philharmonic.
He received a national recognition in Japan for conducting the NHK TV Concert Series entitled ‘Music of the World’ in 1970.
He has also conducted the Japan Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic, Yomiuri Japan Symphony, Osaka Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Gunma Symphony, Sapporo Symphony, Kyushu Symphony, and other well-acclaimed performances abroad, including Europe, Latin America, and in Asia.
He has found a huge satisfaction in working with Asian orchestras–from making recordings to conducting festivals and subscription concerts in almost all parts of Asia. He was assigned as the first chief conductor of Asean Symphony Orchestra – consisting of 80 musicians carefully selected from some of the Asean countries, at the 17th Asean summit in Hanoi in October 2010 as supported by the Nippon Foundation.
Fukumura has been the Honorary Principal Guest Conductor of the Cuba National Symphony Orchestra since 1995.
Under the support of the Japanese embassy in Cuba, he collaborated with the Cuba National Symphony Orchestra in September 2011 for the Great East Japan Earthquake mourning concert along with violin soloist Ryu Goto and oboist Keisuke Wakao.
Popular for conducting charity concerts, Yoshikazu Fukumura was appointed as the music director for the charity concert of the special orchestra in support to the Association of the Blind in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in the same year.
In June and July 2014, the Japanese and Cuban Governments appointed Fukumura as the Music Director of the Commemorative Concert Series for the 400th Anniversary of Japan and Cuba Friendship. He has conducted 10 commemorative concerts in 3 Cuban cities including the capital city Havana for 2 months.
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