Seikyo Kim.Chef-conductor.Osaka-born Seikyo Kim moved to the USA at the age of 14. He trained at the New England Conservatory in Boston and then went on to study with Seiji Ozawa in Tanglewood and Leopold Hager at the Musikhoschule in Vienna. He gave his debut in 1997 with the Osaka Symphony and was the 1998 winner of the prestigious International Nicolai Malko Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen. Seikyo Kim now lives in Tokyo where he has established a reputation as one of Japan's leading young conductors, developing a wide-ranging repertoire and enjoying strong relationships with the country's leading orchestras, including, among others, the NHK Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, New Japan Philharmonic, Kyoto Symphony and Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa. He has just been appointed Principal Conductor of the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra in Yokohama, a tenure which will start in April 2009. Highlights among guest conductor engagements over the coming season include a tour in Belgium with the Symfonieorkest van Vlaanderen. In Japan he will guest-conduct, among others, the New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Nagoya Philharmonic, Osaka Century Orchestra, as well as the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa with whom he will be completing his cycle (concert and recording) of the Brahms and Beethoven symphonies. Seikyo Kim's discography, available on Avex and Warner Classics Japan, includes Beethoven's symphonies no. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 as well as Brahms's symphonies no. 1, 2 and 3 - all with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa. These will eventually form part of two complete cycles of those composers' symphonies. While in Vienna, Kim was strongly influenced by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Sir Roger Norrington, whose concerts he attended regularly. His fascination for period performance styles led him to become a pioneer of this approach in his native country, and it informs his work in repertoire ranging form Mozart through to Brahms, and even Mahler and Shostakovich. He has had the opportunity to develop this aspect of his work in depth with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, with whom he has recorded most of his discography, as well as with larger symphony orchestras such as the NHK Symphony or the Osaka Century Orchestra.
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