Shizuo Z Kuwahara

Shizuo Z Kuwahara conducts orchestras and opera across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Born in Tokyo and based in Amsterdam, he brings a career spanning symphonic concerts, opera, ballet, and recordings. His First Prize at the 2008 Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in Frankfurt opened the way to engagements with orchestras including the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra, the Polish Chamber Orchestra, and the Nice Philharmonic.

From 2009 to 2016, Kuwahara served as Music Director of the Augusta Symphony in Georgia, leading the orchestra through seven seasons. His orchestral engagements have included the Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Wrocław Philharmonic, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Salta. In Japan, he has appeared with the Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Symphony, and New Japan Philharmonic. His work also includes performances with Phion in the Netherlands and Symphony Nova Scotia in Canada.

Opera is a central part of his work. At Valery Gergiev’s invitation, he made his Mariinsky Theatre debut in 2018 with Verdi’s La traviata and was appointed Principal Guest Conductor in 2019. His repertoire there has included Eugene Onegin, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, Macbeth, Rigoletto, and Pagliacci, alongside orchestral programs. He also conducted the Mariinsky Ballet in a new production of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. His association with the Mariinsky Theatre is temporarily suspended.

His early orchestral appointments included Assistant and Associate Conductor of the Virginia Symphony from 2002 to 2007. From 2005 to 2007, he was a League of American Orchestras conducting fellow with the Philadelphia Orchestra, working with Christoph Eschenbach. He served as assistant conductor to Seiji Ozawa at the Saito Kinen Festival in 2008 and to Valery Gergiev at the Pacific Music Festival in 2006. He has also worked as an assistant and cover conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and Orchestre de Paris.

His recordings include Dutch Hidden Gems with violist Dana Zemtsov and Phion, Wine Dark Sea with Philharmonic Winds Osaka, American Winds with Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, and The Firebird Suite with Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra. He also appears in Götz Schauder’s documentary Conduct! Every Move Counts, which follows five young conductors at the 2008 Georg Solti competition.

Alongside his Solti Competition First Prize, Kuwahara received Third Prize at the 2009 Malko International Conducting Competition and Second Prize at the 2021 Ionel Perlea International Conducting Competition. His honours include a Georg Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, and the 2011 S&R Washington Award. In 2016, he was appointed Tourism Ambassador for the City of Yokkaichi, Japan.

Kuwahara earned his bachelor’s degree at the Eastman School of Music, where he also received an Arts Leadership Program Certificate, a Performer’s Certificate, and the George Eastman Scholarship. He completed his master’s degree in conducting at Yale University, receiving the Charles Ives scholarship and the Eleazar de Carvalho Prize. His teachers and mentors include David Effron, Lawrence Leighton Smith, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Timothy Muffitt, and Michael Jinbo. His training also took him to the Aspen Music Festival, National Conducting Institute, Pierre Monteux School, and Chautauqua Music Institute.