Akiyama, Kazuyoshi

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Akiyama, Kazuyoshi

Akiyama, Kazuyoshi, Japanese conductor; b. Tokyo, Jan. 2, 1941. He was a student of Saito at the Toho School of Music in Tokyo. In 1964 he made his conducting debut with the Tokyo Sym. Orch. and that same year he was made its music director, a post he retained for 35 years. From 1972 to 1985 he was resident conductor and music director of the Vancouver (British Columbia) Sym. Orch., and concurrently served as music director of the American Sym. Orch. from 1973 to 1978. From 1985 to 1993 he was music director of the Syracuse (N.Y.) Sym. Orch. He also was music advisor and principal conductor of the Sapporo Sym. Orch. from 1988 to 1998. He was music director of the Hiroshima Sym. Orch. from 1998.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire