Seiji Ozawa

Conductor. One of Japan's leading international performers after the Second World War. Born in Mukden (now Shenyang), China. He studied conducting under Hideo Saito at Toho Gakuen, and in 1959 (Showa 34), the year after graduating, went to Europe and won the Besançon Conducting Competition. The following summer, he won first place in the Berkshire Music Center Conducting Competition in the United States, and then won the competition hosted by Karajan. In 1961, he was recognized by Bernstein and became assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Since then, he has served as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Canada, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and other orchestras, and has also appeared at music festivals around the world. He served as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1973 to 2002, and in 1979 he successfully toured China with the orchestra for the first time. In the fall of 2002, he became music director of the Vienna State Opera, one of the three major opera houses in the world.

In Japan, he has served as the principal conductor of the New Japan Philharmonic since 1972. In 1972, he received the Japan Art Academy Prize. In memory of his mentor, Hideo Saito, he organized the Saito Kinen Orchestra in 1984, which has enjoyed success in both domestic and international performances. In 1990, he became a music advisor for the Mito Chamber Orchestra. In 2001, he was awarded the Person of Cultural Merit.

[Yoshio Miyama]

"The Heart of Saito Kinen," edited by the Matsumoto Executive Committee of the Saito Kinen Festival (2001, Shinano Mainichi Shimbun)" ▽ "A Study of Seiji Ozawa, by Yutaka Watanabe, Mikio Ozawa, et al., new edition (2002, Shunjusha)" ▽ "My Musical Training," by Seiji Ozawa (Shincho Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

指揮者。第二次世界大戦後の日本を代表する国際的演奏家の一人。中国の奉天（現瀋陽(しんよう／シェンヤン)）生まれ。桐朋(とうほう)学園で斎藤秀雄に指揮を学び、卒業の翌年の1959年（昭和34）渡欧、ブザンソン指揮者コンクールに優勝。翌年夏のアメリカのバークシャー音楽センターの指揮者コンクール第1位、続いてカラヤン主宰のコンクールでも優勝。61年バーンスタインに認められてニューヨーク・フィルハーモニーの副指揮者に就任。以後、カナダのトロント交響楽団、サンフランシスコ交響楽団などの音楽監督を歴任するほか、世界各地の音楽祭にも出演。73年から2002年までボストン交響楽団の音楽監督を務め、79年に同楽団と初の中国演奏旅行を成功させた。2002年秋には世界三大歌劇場の一つであるウィーン国立歌劇場の音楽監督に就任。

　日本では1972年以降、新日本フィルハーモニーの首席指揮者を務める。72年芸術院賞受賞。恩師斎藤秀雄を偲(しの)んでサイトウ・キネン・オーケストラを84年に組織し、国内外の公演で成功を収めた。90年（平成2）水戸室内管弦楽団の音楽顧問に就任。2001年文化功労者。

［美山良夫］

『サイトウ・キネン・フェスティバル松本実行委員会編『サイトウ・キネンのこころ』（2001・信濃毎日新聞社）』▽『渡辺裕・小澤幹雄他著『小澤征爾大研究』新装版（2002・春秋社）』▽『小澤征爾著『ボクの音楽武者修業』（新潮文庫）』

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