Role

:

Conductor  

Country

:

Japan

Birth

:

April 29, 1954 in Kobe, Japan

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Choral

 

Masaaki Suzuki is a renowned Japanese conductor, harpsichordist, and organist who has made a significant contribution to the world of classical music. He was born on April 29, 1954, in Kobe, Japan, and grew up in a musical family. His father was a composer, and his mother was a soprano singer. Suzuki started playing the piano at the age of four and later learned to play the organ and harpsichord. Suzuki studied music at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he specialized in organ and harpsichord performance. He later went to Europe to further his studies, where he studied with renowned musicians such as Ton Koopman and Gustav Leonhardt. Suzuki's passion for early music led him to specialize in Baroque music, and he became an expert in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1990, Suzuki founded the Bach Collegium Japan, a period-instrument ensemble that specializes in the performance of Baroque music. The ensemble has gained international recognition for its authentic and expressive performances of Bach's works. Suzuki has been the music director of the Bach Collegium Japan since its inception and has conducted the ensemble in numerous concerts and recordings. Suzuki's conducting career has also included collaborations with other orchestras and ensembles. He has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, among others. Suzuki has also been a guest conductor at major music festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Mostly Mozart Festival. One of Suzuki's most significant achievements is his complete recording of Bach's sacred cantatas. The project, which began in 1995, took over 20 years to complete and involved recording all 200 of Bach's cantatas. The recordings have been critically acclaimed and have won numerous awards, including the Diapason d'Or and the Gramophone Award. Suzuki has also been recognized for his contributions to the world of classical music. In 2001, he was awarded the Bach Medal by the city of Leipzig, Germany, in recognition of his work in promoting Bach's music. He has also been awarded the Suntory Music Award, the Kyoto Prize, and the Order of the Rising Sun, among other honors. In addition to his conducting and recording work, Suzuki is also a respected scholar of Baroque music. He has written several books on Bach's music, including "The Historical Performance of Music: An Introduction" and "Bach: The Sacred Cantatas." Suzuki has also taught at several universities, including the Tokyo University of the Arts and Yale University. Suzuki's passion for Bach's music and his dedication to authentic performance practices have made him one of the most respected musicians in the world of classical music. His recordings and performances have brought Bach's music to a wider audience and have inspired countless musicians and music lovers around the world.

More....