Toshiaki Murakami

Conductor
Tokyo native Toshiaki Murakami studied conducting under Seiji Ozawa, Hideomi Kuroiwa, and Kazuyoshi Akiyama at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. While a student, he became assistant to Ozawa for the New Japan Philharmonic, SKO, and later for the Mito Chamber Orchestra and Wiener Staatsoper. In 1997, he moved to Germany and studied at Universität der Künste Berlin and Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien. He was affiliated with Landestheater Linz 2004 06 and Staatsoper Hannover from 2006, where he was Kapellmeister 2008-12 conducting operas and ballets. He was invited to work with Berliner Symphoniker and the Lithuanian National Symphony, etc. Returning to Japan in 2015, he has conducted at OMF, Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo City Philharmonic, Kanagawa Philharmonic, Osaka Symphony, Kyoto Symphony. This year, he launched an opera group "Tokyo Opera NEXT" and is working energetically to promote classical music and opera culture. He is also a chamber music and lied pianist and currently teaches at Tokyo University of the Arts and the Toho Gakuen College Music Department.

David Kneuss

Stage Director
David Kneuss has recently completed his tenure at the Metropolitan Opera where he served as executive stage director for 25 years and directed nearly 100 productions. In addition to the Met, Mr. Kneuss has also directed productions for the opera companies of: Chicago; San Francisco; Washington, DC; Boston; Portland (Oregon); Bonn (Germany); the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; the English National Opera; and Hyogo Performing Arts Center in Nishinomiya, Japan, where he recently staged Don Giovanni, completing the Mozart / Da Ponte trilogy for that company.
Having a career-long association with Seiji Ozawa, Mr. Kneuss first staged opera for Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and Carnegie Hall. In Japan, he has directed more than 30 productions for Ozawa’s music festivals and continues to create productions for the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival and the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, where Mr. Kneuss also serves as Artistic Director, and where he has most recently created his production of Puccini’s La Bohème.
Mr. Kneuss created a production of La damnation de Faust at Matsumoto Castle, which was the first outdoor production ever presented by the Saito Kinen Festival and was seen by an audience of 5,000. His Peter Grimes, a joint venture between the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Saito Kinen Festival, began at the Tanglewood Music Center to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opera’s American premiere and was featured in a film entitled A Tale of Tanglewood.

Gianni Schicchi / Hidekazu Machi

Baritone
Hidekazu Machi holds BA and MA degrees from Kunitachi College of Music and trained in the 6th class of the New National Theatre Tokyo Opera Studio. He studied in Bologna as Agency for Cultural Affairs trainee and in Munich on Rohm Music Foundation grant. He has appeared in numerous operas at: Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto / OMF; Seiji Ozawa Music Academy; NNTT, among others. As soloist, he has sung at NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra subscription concerts, captivating audiences with his intellectual musical interpretation.

Lauretta / Rena Fujii

Soprano
While at Tokyo University of the Arts graduate school, debuted as Sandman / Dew Fairy Hänsel und Gretel, Theater Erfurt. Trained at Oper Leipzig, graduated Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. Appearances at Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, Tokyo Opera City Recital Series “B to C,” Spring Festival in Tokyo. Sang Micaëla Carmen, Adele Die Fledermaus at Seiji Ozawa Music Academy’s Opera for Children; Zerlina Don Giovanni under Michiyoshi Inoue, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre: with José Carreras under Yutaka Sado, Fenice Sacay. Lecturer at Kunitachi College of Music.

Zita / Mayumi Makino

Mezzo-Soprano
Completed Tokyo University of the Arts and graduate school. Third Fujisawa Opera Competition, encouragement prize; 30th Concorso di Lirica Italiana, gold prize. Appearances at Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto include, Cunning Little Vixen, Hänsel und Gretel, L’enfant et les sortilèges, and “Saito Kinen Orchestra in Performance with 1000 Voices” as Carmen. Sang to acclaim in Suntory Hall Opera Academy productions of Falstaff, Le nozze di Figaro, Fujiwara Opera’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Madama Butterfly, Un ballo in Maschera. Fujiwara Opera member. Part-time lecturer, Showa University of Music.

Rinuccio / Takamasa Sawahara

Tenor
Native of Kure, Hiroshima. Graduated Ehime University, Tokyo University of the Arts, completed the latter’s master’s program, and Toho Gakuen School of Music’s doctoral program with a Ph.D. in Music. Soloist in Handel Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Beethoven Ninth Symphony, Orff Carmina Burana. Debuting with Bizet Carmen, operatic appearances include Serse, Die Zauberflöte, L’elisir d’amore, La Traviata, La Bohème, Tosca, among others. Versatile activities also include writing liner and program notes, organizing concerts, etc. Member of Japan Vocalists Academy and Nikikai.

Gherardo / Shingo Takabatake

Tenor
Graduated Musashino Academia Musicae and completed its graduate school. Second prize at Concorso Internazionale di Musica “Via della Seta” held in Parma, Italy. Gold prize at 44th Concorso di Lirica Italiana. In 2015, sang in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges under Seiji Ozawa. Other appearances include: New National Theatre, Tokyo; Nissay Theatre; La Folle Journée in Tokyo and Kanazawa; Pacific Music Festival Sapporo; and Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival for L’enfant et les sortilèges (2015, 2016, 2017) and Gianni Schicchi (2018).

Nella / Misako Beppu

Soprano
Alumna of Tokyo College of Music and graduate school. Fifth Lissone Music Competition, second prize; 53rd Concorso vocale Italo Giapponese, finalist. While studying in Italy, sang in Rigoletto, Il barbiere di Siviglia, etc. In Japan, sang Adina L’elisir d’amore, Violetta La traviata. Participated in Seiji Ozawa Music Academy as cover cast for Frasquita Carmen, Rosalinde Die Fledermaus, Musetta La Bohème. 2021, made Fujiwara Opera debut as Lauretta Gianni Schicchi, subsequently singing Micaëla Carmen. 2023, sang Musetta at OMF Opera. Member of Fujiwara Opera, Japan Opera Foundation.

Betto / Yuichiro Ichikawa

Baritone
Completed Showa University of Music graduate school. 2021 Concorso vocale Italo Giapponese, first and song prizes; 2022 Kawasaki City Azalea Prize. Operatic appearances include La Cenerentola, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, La Bohème, Il Campiello with Fujiwara Opera; Genji Monogatari, Yuzuru with Japan Opera Foundation. Cover cast for Carmen, La Bohème, Così fan tutte at Seiji Ozawa Music Academy. Sang Schaunard La Bohème at 2023 OMF. Member of Fujiwara Opera, Japan Opera Association. Showa University of Music part-time lecturer. Native of Kawasaki, Kanagawa.

Simone / Yasushi Hirano

Bass-Baritone
Garners attention as one of most admired bass-baritones today. Graduated Nihon University College of Art, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien and its graduate school opera department, top of class. Studied with Yoshie Sue, R. Hansmann, R. Holl. Formerly ensemble member at Oper Graz, Volksoper Wien, currently active based in Wien. Operatic appearances include title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Leporello in Don Giovanni, among others. Soloist with orchestras home and abroad. Released Schubert’s Winterreise from Japan Acoustic Records.

Marco / Toshiaki Komada

Baritone
Nagoya native. After Aichi University of Education, completed Tokyo University of the Arts graduate school, studying Lied and oratorios. Subsequently trained at New National Theatre Tokyo Opera Studio, and in Berlin through Cultural Affairs Agency’s Overseas Study Program. On return, opera appearances at NNTT, Seiji Ozawa Music Academy and Matsumoto Festival. This season, sings Papageno Die Zauberflöte at NNTT. Also devoted as Lied singer, appeared in Spring Festival in Tokyo, Tokyo Opera City Recital Series “B to C.” Music Competition of Japan, first prize (Lied).

La Ciesca / Shoko Sogo

Mezzo-Soprano
Graduated Kobe College School of Music. Completed New National Theatre Tokyo Opera Studio; trained at Scala Academy, Bayerische Staatsoper Opera Studio on ANA Scholarship. First Japan International Music Competition, grand prix; Fifth Hamakyou Soloist Audition, first prize. Studied in Italy under Cultural Affairs Agency’s Overseas Study Program, sang title role La Cenerentola in local opera festival. Appearances include: title role Carmen; Chinese Cup / Dragonfly L’enfant et les sortilèges, Sacerdotessa Aida, NNTT; Dorabella Così fan tutte, 2024 Seiji Ozawa Music Academy’s Opera for Children.

Maestro Spinelloccio / Soya Sahara

Bass-Baritone
Native of Nagano. Graduated Kunitachi College of Music, vocal music department. Completed Nikikai Opera Training Institute, and Hamburger Konservatorium with highest honors. German debut as Il poeta in Salieri’s Prima la musica e poi le parole, subsequently appearing in various classic to contemporary works such as Mozart, R. Strauss. Cover cast for L’enfant et les sortilèges, Gianni Schicchi at Seiji Ozawa Music Academy. Soloist in Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethes Faust, broadcast by Norddeutscher Rundfunk, and several world premiered sacred works with acclaim. Nikikai member.

Amantio di Nicolao / Koji Terada

Baritone
Graduated Tokyo College of Music Vocal Performance Course, completed master’s opera course on scholarship at Guildhall School of Music. Performed with Seiji Ozawa several times at Seiji Ozawa Music Academy and Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto. Portrayed British Major in European premiere of Kevin Put’s Silent Night at Wexford Festival Opera, Ireland. Honors include: 11th Concert Marronnier 21, first prize; Seventh Elena Obraztsova International Competition of Young Opera Singers, third prize; 85th Music Competition of Japan, second prize (Lied); 37th Music Contest in Iizuka, first prize.

Pinellino / Yumi Matsuzawa

Bass-Baritone
Graduated Tokyo University of the Arts, completed Toho Gakuen School of Music, research department. Further trained in Turin, Italy. Appearances include Il Trovatore Ferrando, Così fan tutte Don Alfonso, Don Giovanni Leporello, Die Zauberflöte Sarastro, L’elisir d’amore Belcore, Carmen Moralès, Manon De Brétigny, La Bohème Schaunard. Appearances in Seiji Ozawa Music Academy and Ozawa Music Festival since 2018, serving as main and cover cast for Gianni Schicchi and Die Fledermaus. Studied under Yoshiaki Otsuki, Akiya Fukushima, Takashi Tomokiyo, Kuniaki Yamaguchi, Andrea Genovese. Nikikai member.

Guccio / Yuki Arai

Baritone
Graduated Tokyo College of Music, vocal music department, completed master’s program at its graduate school. Completed Conservatorio di Musica “Arrigo Boito” di Parma, vocal music department, with highest mark at graduation performance. Operatic appearances around Europe including Italy, Germany, centering on “baritono leggiero” repertoire. As media artist, works on projection mapping, stage design, subtitle translation/projection at leading national theaters such as New National Theatre Tokyo, Biwako Hall, and directs web distribution for companies such as Sapporo Breweries, combining classic music and visual technology in expression.