Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
The Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra is a Japanese symphony orchestra administratively based in Tokyo. The orchestra primarily performs concerts in Tokyo at the Suntory Hall, but also gives concerts at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. The orchestra also performs in Yokohama at the Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall.
The orchestra was founded in 1962 by the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper group, the Nippon Television Network Corporation, and the Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation. Its first principal conductor was the American conductor Willis Page, who served while on leave from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Hiroshi Wakasugi became the orchestra's first Japanese principal conductor in 1965. Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, the orchestra's fourth principal conductor from 1980 to 1983, held the title of principal guest conductor with the orchestra from 1983 to 1990, and was named one of the orchestra's honorary conductors in 1990. Other conductors with the title of honorary conductor include Kurt Masur, since 1979, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky, since 1990. Tadaaki Otaka, the orchestra's sixth principal conductor from 1992 to 1998, now has the title of honorary guest conductor.
The orchestra's current principal conductor is Sylvain Cambreling, as of April 2010. His initial contract was for three years. Cambreling is scheduled to stand down as the orchestra's principal conductor on 31 March 2019. In August 2016, Sebastian Weigle first guest-conducted the orchestra. He returned for a further guest-conducting engagement in July 2017. In May 2018, the orchestra announced the appointment of Weigle as its next chief conductor, effective 1 April 2019, with an initial contract of three years.Principal conductors (partial list)
