Czech Virtuosi

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Host: Hideaki Hirai
(dirigent)

HIDEAKI HIRAI – Dirigent (Conductor)

je jedním z nejnadanějších mladých dirigentů v Japonsku a zároveň hudebním ředitelem a dirigentem Operního experimentálního divadla v Tokiu a dirigentem souboru Tokyo Opera Production. Předtím zastával pozici dirigenta Tokyo New City Orchestra. Pochází ze starého rodu Hiraiů, známého na poli klasické hudby v Japonsku. Hideaki Hirai je spoluzakladatelem sboru Czech Virtuosi a hudebním ředitelem Capital Young Artists Orchestra (Washington, D.C.). V příští sezónně bude dirigovat v Sydney Opera House. Jako hostující dirigent vystoupil s mnoha známými orchestry v Austrálii, Chorvatsku, Ceské republice, Velké Británii, Finsku, Francii, Německu, Itálii, Polsku, Rumunsku, Spanělsku, U.S.A. a většinou hlavních orchestrů v Japonsku. Mezi jeho poslední vystoupení patří Festival „Dny Bohuslava Martinů“, mezinárodní festival Mladá Praha (Ceská republika), Japonský festival (U.S.A.) a Hudební festival Martha Argherich (Beppu, Japonsko).

Hideaki Hirai is one of the most gifted young conductors from Japan. He is currently Music Director and Conductor of the Tokyo Opera Experimental Theatre and Conductor of the Tokyo Opera Production. Prior to this he held the position of Conductor with the Tokyo New City Orchestra. He belongs to the Hirai family, famous in the classical music field in Japan. Hideaki Hirai is also a Co-founder of the Czech Virtuosi and Music Director of the Capital Young Artists Orchestra (Washington, D.C.). Next season he will make his debut at the Sydney Opera House.

He has conducted many leading orchestras in Australia, Croatia, Czech Rep., Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the USA., as well as most of the major orchestras in Japan. His recent festival appearances include Martinu Festival, Young Prague Music Festival (Czech Rep.), Japan Festival (U.S.A.) and Martha Argherich Music Festival (Beppu, Japan).

Acknowledged as opera conductor, Hideaki Hirai has been a frequent guest with the prestigious New National Theatre, Tokyo. Following his successful debut with Mitridate and Lucio Silla (Mozart) in November 2003, Maestro Hirai was immediately offered return engagements with Marriage of Figaro in April 2005 and with Serse (Handel) in January 2006. His recent opera performances include productions of La Boheme, Carmen, Madame Butterfly, La Traviata and a sensational success as “conductor, composer and librettist” of his own opera, Princess from the Moon in Tokyo (2003).

In June 2006, the Canberra Times (Australia) praised Hirai’s opera as constantly melodious and warmly harmonic and Puccini-Japanese style upon its performance in Australia as main event of the “2006 Australia-Japan Year of Exchange”. The work has become in much demand as one of the most popular Japanese operas in Japan and recently had a highly successful European premiere at Smetana Hall in Prague (April, 2009). He had a great honour to receive a special commission to write a new opera, “TRUE LOVE of KOMACHI” for the prestigious National Cultural Festival 2008 in Japan. A sold-out world premiere performance received rave reviews.

Hideaki Hirai graduated from the University of Rochester (New York) with a Bachelor’s degree in political science, where he studied conducting under David Effron at the Eastman School of Music. He completed his Master’s degree in conducting at the Peabody Conservatory of the John’s Hopkins University under Frederik Prausnitz, followed by further studies under Otakar Trhlik at the Janacek Academy of Music (Czech Republic) and his mentor Sir Colin Davis in London. 　[4/2009]