Kazushi Ōno
Kazushi Ōno is a Japanese conductor.Overviews
Ōno studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and with Wolfgang Sawallisch and Giuseppe Patanè at the Bavarian State Opera, as a scholar of the Japanese Ministry of Culture. In 1987 he won First Prize in the 3rd Toscanini International Conductors' Competition.
Ōno was principal conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra from 1992 to 1999, and its artistic advisor from 1999 to 2001. He currently holds the title of Conductor Laureate with the orchestra. In May 2013, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Ōno as its next music director, as of April 2015, with an initial contract of 5 years.
In Europe, Ōno was Chief Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra from 1990 to 1996. He was General Music Director of the Baden State Opera, Karlsruhe from 1996 to 2002. In August 2002, he became music director of La Monnaie, after his acclaimed debut there in March 2001, conducting Salvatore Sciarrino's chamber opera Luci mie traditrici. Other contemporary operas that Ōno conducted at La Monnaie include Philippe Boesmans' Julie. He stepped down as music director at La Monnaie at the end of the 2007-2008 season and became principal conductor of the Opéra National de Lyon at the start of the 2008-2009 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. In January 2014, the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra announced the appointment of Ōno as its next music director, effective September 2015, with an initial contract of 3 years. Ōno concluded his tenure as principal conductor of the Opéra National de Lyon at the close of the 2016-2017 season.Awards
Ōno is the recipient of the 2009 Suntory Music Award and the 2015 Asahi Prize. He was also awarded ‘Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ by French cultural minister Françoise Nyssen for his contribution to Japanese society.
