©Barbara Luisi

Born in Genoa, Italy, Fabio Luisi is one of the leading opera and concert conductors in the world. He received his piano diploma from the Conservatorio Niccolò Paganini and later studied with the Italian pianist Aldo Ciccolini in Paris. While working with Leyla Gencer and Rudolfo Celletti as an accompanist, he decided to become a conductor. In 1983, he graduated from the Music Conservatory in Graz with the "highest distinction" in conducting and started working at the Grazer Oper the following year. Since embarking on his international career in 1987, Luisi has conducted the Staatstheater Stuttgart, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Opéra National de Bordeaux, the Münchner Rundfunkorchester, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, and the Wiener Staatsoper. In 1990, he founded the Grazer Symphonisches Orchester and remained its Artistic Director until 1995. He has also served as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Tonkünstler-Orchester in Vienna, Musical Director and Artistic Director of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, General Music Director of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, and Chief Conductor of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. His American debut was in 2000 with the New York Philharmonic, immediately followed by his opera debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In 2005, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut. Luisi works on a regular basis with orchestras such as the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; and with opera houses and festivals such as the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin, the Hamburgische Staatsoper, the Lucerne Festival, and the Festival Gstaad. He was the Artistic Director of the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) in Leipzig from 1996 to 2007, and he became Chief Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker in 2005. He will become Principal Guest Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera from the 2010-11 season and GMD (Music Director) of the Zurich Opera from 2012. Luisi was decorated with the "Cavaliere Ufficiale" order of the Italian Republic in 2006 and was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Arts and Sciences and the "Commendatore dell’Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana" in 2008. He appeared at PMF as Guest Conductor in 2004 and as Principal Conductor in 2008. He will serve as Artistic Director of PMF from 2010.

©Stephane Gallois

Born in Cherbourg, France, Lise de la Salle studied at the Paris Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique with Pierre Réach. After graduating in 2001, she continued her studies with Bruno Rigutto. She has worked closely with Pascal Nemirovski since 1997 and also with Genevieve Joy-Dutilleux. After an impressive series of first prizes in piano competitions in Europe, she was awarded the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York in 2004. In the same year she made her first tour of Japan and also participated in several European festivals including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival as a soloist. She has performed with the Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestra of the Kanazawa Ensemble, Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and others. Among the conductors she has worked with are Jun Märkl, Alexander Dmitriev, and Semyon Bychkov. In the 2007-2008 season, she performed at the Great Performers Series of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York followed by concerts in Montréal, at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, and Munich Herkulessaal, and gave her debut at the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf. In the 2008-2009 season, she performed a recital at the "Winter Piano Series" of the Lucerne Music Festival and toured the USA twice. In the 2009-2010 season, she opened the season for the Staatskapelle Dresden and also played with the Wiener Symphoniker and Boston Symphony under the baton of Fabio Luisi. She has been invited by Marek Janowski and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Germany and the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. Later this season she will play with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, the Komische Oper Berlin, and the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.

©Hamamatsu International
Piano Competition

Born in Seoul, Seoug-Jin Cho is a student at a secondary school in Korea. He won the first prize at the Chopin Youth Piano Competition in Moscow in 2008. In 2009, he won the first prize in the 7th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition and became the youngest winner of the competition where he was also awarded "The Best Performer of the Japanese Works" and the "Sapporo Mayor" prizes. In December 2009, Cho performed with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Myung-Whun Chung.

©Masahide Sato

Tadaaki Otaka has been the Music Director of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra since May 2004. In addition to guest conducting major Japanese Orchestras, he has been invited to be a guest conductor by the London Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Banberger Symphoniker, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Symphony Orchestra, and others. He received the Suntory Music Award, an Honorary Fellowship from the Welsh College of Music and Drama, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Wales, the Elgar Medal for his efforts in spreading the works of Elgar, and he was awarded the CBE in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music in Britain. He is Conductor Laureate of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Conductor Laureate of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Honorary Guest Conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, and Honorary Conductor Laureate of Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo. He is a professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts, is teaching at Soai University, and also has been serving as Artistic Director-designate (Opera) of the New National Theatre. Otaka began serving as Permanent Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo and as Principal Guest Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2010.

©Masahide Sato

Ken Takaseki won First Prize at the Herbert von Karajan Competition in Japan in 1977 while he was still a student at Toho Gakuen School of Music. After graduating from the school, he worked as an assistant to Karajan at the Orchester-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker. In 1981, he studied at the Tanglewood Music Festival under Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa, and he made his debut in Europe with the Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester. In 1985, he made his debut in Japan with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra at its subscription concert. He was a recipient of the Akeo Watanabe Music Foundation Award in June 1996. He has been a guest conductor of major orchestras such as the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, the Wiener Symphoniker, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Klangforum Wien, and the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln. In 1994, he toured Europe with the Gunma Symphony Orchestra with great success. He served as Music Director and Permanent Conductor of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Permanent Conductor of the New Japan Philharmonic, Permanent Conductor of the Century Orchestra Osaka, and Music Director of the Gunma Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he is Resident Conductor of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra and teaches at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.

Born in Argentina to Japanese parents, Daniel Matsukawa began studying the bassoon at age thirteen.  He attended the Juilliard School before studying under Bernard Garfield at the Curtis Institute of Music. Matsukawa made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall at age eighteen and since then has appeared as soloist with many orchestras around the world including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra.  He has been Principal Bassoon of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 2000.  Prior to that, he served as Principal Bassoon with the Saint Louis Symphony, Virginia Symphony, and Memphis Symphony Orchestras. He teaches regularly at the National Orchestra Institute.  He is on the faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music and Temple University.  He was a member of the PMF Orchestra from 1992 to 1994.  This is his tenth visit to PMF as a faculty member since 2001.  One of the highlights of his career at PMF was his performance of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto with the PMF Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev. Matsukawa began conducting studies privately with Otto Werner Mueller, who is the head of the Conducting Department at the Curtis Institute of Music. He recently made his orchestral conducting debut at PMF in 2009, the 20th anniversary of PMF, and he conducted a joint program of the PMF Orchestra and the PMF Anniversary Orchestra, which was formed of past festival alumni members especially for the memorial year. Matsukawa received glowing reviews for his conducting performances at PMF.

Born in Marl, Germany, Alexander Bülow started studying piano at an early age. After studying bassoon, he studied vocal and chorus and orchestra conducting. While studying at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig, he learned conducting under Fabio Luisi, Harald Knauff, and Martin Braun and performed with the Jenaer Philharmonie, Westsächsisches Symphonieorchester, and Erzgebirgischen Sinfonieorchester Aue. He also studied chorus conducting with Roland Börger and conducted the GewandhausChor, Hallenser Madrigalisten, and Leipziger Vocalensemble. Bülow was assistant to Fabio Luisi for the performance of "The Magic Flute" at the Theater an der Wien in 2006. After he graduated in 2007, he has been serving as Solorepetitur and conductor and assistant to the General Music Director in Theater Lübeck. He often performs with Lübecker Kammerorchester.

©Matthias Creutziger

Born in Palermo, Italy, Gaetano d'Espinosa studied piano, violin and composition in his hometown. In 1992, he received the highest award at the National Violin Competition "Vittorio Veneto." In 1995, he moved to Milan where he continued his violin studies with Salvatore Accardo at the Accademia Walter Stauffer. In 1996, he won the highest award of the International Violin Competition "Rovere d'Oro." Numerous solo appearances with Italian symphony orchestras followed. After his studies, d'Espinosa lived in Japan where he was the First Concertmaster of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. In 2003, he became the concertmaster of the Staatskapelle Dresden with which he premiered his first self-composed violin concerto in 2005. He resigned this position in 2008 to consecrate on his conducting career. As the assistant to Fabio Luisi at the Vienna Festival Weeks in the Theater an der Wien, he worked on the realization of several opera performances. He works regularly with the Dresden Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. With this orchestra he has made guest performances in Berlin, Cologne, Madrid, and Barcelona. In 2010, he will conduct the Wiener Symphoniker and several performances of "La Traviata" at the Semperoper of Dresden. In the 2009/2010/2011 seasons, he will conduct the Kammerorchester Berlin, the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, the Kremerata Baltica as well as the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra.

Born in Olmütz, Peter Schmidl serves as Principal Clarinet of the Wiener Philharmoniker, as did his father and grandfather.  In 1965, he joined the Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper and the Wiener Philharmoniker and became Solo Clarinetist three years later.  He assumed additional responsibilities with the orchestra as General Manager from 2001 to 2005 and was named Doyen of the Wiener Staatsoper in September 2006. He has made solo appearances with the Wiener Philharmoniker, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Kammer Orchester, the Tonkünstler-Orchester, the New Japan Philharmonic, and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra/DR under such distinguished conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, Christoph von Dohnány, Riccardo Muti, André Previn, Karl Böhm, and James Levine.  His passion for chamber music is highlighted by multiple concert appearances with various ensembles formed by the members of the Wiener Philharmoniker, including Wiener Oktett and Wiener Bläser Solisten. He has been participating in every PMF since 1991. This is his twentieth appearance at PMF.

A native of Colombia, Luis Biava became a member of the violin section of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1968, and he was appointed Principal Second Violin in 1984. In 1985, he was appointed Assistant Conductor and in 1994 he became Conductor-in-Residence, a position he held until his retirement from the orchestra in 2004. Biava is currently Artistic Director and Conductor of the Temple University Symphony Orchestra and the Temple University Youth Chamber Orchestra. He has been Artistic Director and Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia. Recently, he was invited to conduct the Castilla and Leon Symphony Orchestra in Valladolid which featured renown Japanese soloist Akiko Suwanai. Biava has been awarded a citation from the City of Philadelphia and honored by the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. He received the rank of Commendatore in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the Medal of San Carlos from the President of the Republic of Colombia, and the Philadelphia Orchestra's C. Hartman Kuhn Award which is given to "a musician who has shown both the musical ability to enhance the musical standards and reputation of The Philadelphia Orchestra." This is his tenth appearance at PMF since 2001.

The PMF Orchestra consists of young musicians between the ages of 18 and 29 who are selected through worldwide auditions. Distinguished conductors and artists, including musicians from world leading orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, Berliner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden and internationally renowned orchestras of the U.S.A. provide guidance to these musicians for nearly four weeks in July in Sapporo. The orchestra's achievements are presented in concert not only in Sapporo, but also in other metropolitan areas in Japan, including Osaka and Tokyo. More than 2,500 young musicians from over 68 countries and regions have participated in PMF, and many of these alumni have joined professional orchestras around the world and/or are actively working as soloists.

©Masahide Sato

The Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Hokkaido's only professional orchestra, has been known affectionately as "Sakkyo" to Hokkaido residents. The orchestra will mark its 50th anniversary in 2011. The current conductors are Tadaaki Otaka (Music Director), Ken Takaseki (Resident Conductor), and Radomil Eliška (Chief Guest Conductor). Based at the Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara, which boasts some of the best acoustics in the world, the orchestra is distinguished by the clear sound and dynamic powers of expression that are inspired by Hokkaido's vast natural beauty and charm. The orchestra has been engaged in ever-active performances with its sights set on audiences around the world and continues to actively promote itself. The orchestra was recognized as a public interest incorporated foundation in October 2009. The orchestra performs over 120 concerts each year throughout Japan and has been invited to perform in the U.S.A., Germany, Southeast Asia, the U.K., and South Korea. Recent highlights of the orchestra include actively recording at the Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara and the release of a CD every year since 2007.

PMF Singers consists of eight young singers between the ages of 21 and 30 who were selected through an audition held in Tokyo to cast the opera "La Bohème." They will receive guidance from Fabio Luisi and his musical assistants for nearly three weeks and will perform with the PMF Orchestra in "La Bohème." They will also sing arias from famous operas at the PMF Singers Concert (2 performances).

The HBC Children's Choir (HBC Jido Gasshodan) was founded in 1957 with the aim of creating an outstanding vocal ensemble to enhance the depth of Hokkaido's cultural appeal. In 1964, it became a full-fledged choir with newly admitted members and made appearances on radio and TV programs. In November 1965, the chorus was reorganized and renamed the HBC Junior Chorus (HBC Shonen Shojo Gasshodan). The choir, which is organized and managed by Hokkaido Broadcasting Co., Ltd., enjoys high acclaim for its long history and its standards of musical excellence. Members currently practice at HBC's studios twice a week and its 43rd annual concert was held in November 2009. The choir has performed at various ceremonies and also sang at a reception to welcome former Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Hokkaido in 1998. It often makes appearances at Sapporo Symphony Orchestra concerts and it participated in the Pacific Music Festival in 1996 and 2000. In recent years, the chorus has extended its repertoire into opera and chorus suite pieces.

The Sapporo Academy Chorus was founded in 1984 by a group of local choral enthusiasts at the behest of Principal Conductor Yukio Nagai. It has since given 29 concerts independently, including in its repertoire a wide variety of works by world-renowned composers (among them Anton Bruckner, Antonín Leopold Dvořák, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini) ranging from religious music to opera pieces, film music, and musical works and choruses by Japanese composers. The choir has also performed Resurrection (Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler) as well as the opera Peter Grimes and the cantata Carmina Burana at the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra's Subscription Concerts and it has appeared at the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra's Special Concerts. It has also performed the opera Carmen at the Sapporo event of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' National Arts Festival. In addition to singing for the Hokkaido Nikikai opera group and at the Pacific Music Festival (PMF), it has appeared on various TV and radio programs. The choir has won the Sapporo Art Festival Prize twice (in 1985 and 1988), as well as the Sapporo Art Festival Encouragement Prize in 1994 and the Sapporo Cultural Encouragement Award in 2008. In 2003, which marked the 20th anniversary of its foundation, the group performed Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara with guest appearances by Michiyoshi Inoue, Michie Nakamaru and the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra. It also performed Carmina Burana under the conductorship of Inoue in 2007 and its most recent success was a rendition of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis in April 2010 together with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra with Inoue at the podium.

©Christian Ducasse

Martin Beaver, 1st violin
Kikuei Ikeda, 2nd violin
Kazuhide Isomura, viola
Clive Greensmith, cello

The Tokyo String Quartet has captivated audiences and critics alike since it was founded 40 years ago. Officially formed in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music, the quartet traces its origins to the Toho School of Music in Tokyo where the founding members were profoundly influenced by Professor Hideo Saito. Soon after its formation, the quartet won First Prize at the Coleman Competition, the Munich Competition, and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. An exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon firmly established it as one of the world's leading quartets. Deeply committed to coaching young string quartets, the quartet devotes much of the summer to the prestigious Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, having served on the faculty of the Yale School of Music as quartet-in-residence since 1976. They also conduct master classes in North America, Europe, and the Far East throughout the year. The ensemble performs on the "Paganini Quartet," a group of renowned Stradivarius instruments named for legendary virtuoso Niccolò Paganini who acquired and played them during the 19th Century. The instruments have been on loan to the ensemble from the Nippon Music Foundation since 1995. This is their sixth appearance at PMF since 2005.