Yuri Nitta Short biography

愛知室内オーケストラ 特別演奏会 with オピッツ

   Yuri was born in Tokyo, in 1961. She decided to devote herself to the piano studies at the early age of four. That might have been the butterfly effect for her career to be triggered.

 

   In 1980, she enrolled at the “Kunitachi College of music” and after four years of studies and graduating with success, she got accepted to the Class of Diploma of “Tohogakuen College of music”, in 1986. At the age of 18, she began her studies of conducting under the instructions of Mr. Kazuhiko Komatsu. Later on, a few more important people, generously, offered their conducting knowledge to her like Tadaaki Otaka, Seiji Ozawa, and Kazuyoshi Akiyama.

 

   In 1990, after having spent years of studying and evolving her skills, she became a finalist of Besancon International Young Conductor Competition. One year later, she took the second prize in "Tokyo International Music Competition" sponsored by Min-On. Since then, she has been invited as a guest conductor to various orchestras, such as Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, and Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Sendai Philharmony Orchestra, Nagoya Philharmony Orchestra, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and many others. Also, she has been working with the wind orchestra- Osaka municipal wind band, Tokyo Wind Orchestra, and Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.

 

   Yuri has also a great presence in the music industry. Fifteen CDs of hers have been released, so far.

 -“Symbiosis", composed by Jun Nagao, Trumpet soloist: Jouko Harjanne, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra.

  – “Rainbow-Bridge to Pray”, Japanese songs performed by Jouko Harjanne

Straightly after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the tsunami, she drew up the plan and Mr.Harjanne recorded Japanese songs through his courtesy.

A part of the earnings was donated to Ashinaga, the organization which supports orphans.

 -1 CD with Limmat-Kammerorchester.

 -12 CDs with “Osaka Municipal wind band” and “Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra”.

 

   One other creative side of her rich career is conducting Operas. "Die Entführung aus dem Serail","Le nozze di Figaro", "Don Giovanni", "Cosi fan tutte", "Die Zauberflöte", "La serva padrona", "Il segreto di Susanna", "Yuzuru" in Yokohama City Opera and Ota Kumin Opera Association, have been some of the most important milestones of hers, so far.

 

   Yuri’s specialty is Nordic music, notably the Finnish one. In 1992, she decided to devote herself to Nordic music after coming back from a short training course in Salzburg by meeting the music pieces By Niels Gade.

In Oct. 2000, studied at Sinfonia Lahti in Finland as a trainee of “Under the overseas study program for upcoming artists” of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Later on, she started learning Finnish music pieces with a focus on ones by Sibelius from Mr. Osmo Vänskä, the music director at those days.

Then, she officiated as an assistant of his at public performances in the national opera house and at the "Savonlinna Opera Festival". Some of her important achievements regarding Finnish music are:

 

-In 2001

・Jan. conducted the concert of Sinfonia Lahti for sponsors on behalf of Mr. Vänskä.

・Sep. organized the string ensemble group “Ensemble Iris” with the members of Sinfonia Lahti and Lahti Conservatoire. Conducted the concert with Japanese and Finnish music pieces, with those activities being mentioned extensively in the local newspapers.

 

-Aug. 2002, conducted the 2nd concert of Ensemble Iris.

-In 2004, became a member of The Sibelius Society of Japan.

-In 2005

・Apr.  had a guest performance with Finnish Navy Band

・Jul.-Aug. had a guest performance at “Oulunsalo Soi Chamber Music Festival”.

・Sep. received the Ramstedt scholarship as a support from “Finnish Friendship and Culture Association in Japan”.

・Dec. had a guest performance, which was recorded, with Kuopio Symphony Orchestra.

 

-In 2006,

・Feb. produced and conducted the forum “Finland, which a conductor has seen” sponsored by Tokyo Shinbun.

・Jul.  had a guest performance at “Lieksa Brass Week“. Mikkeli City Orchestra was conducted by her.

・Jul-Aug. had a guest performance at Oulunsalo Soi Chamber Music Festival.

-In 2007,
・Jan.  was inaugurated as the executive director of The Sibelius Society of Japan.

・Jul-Aug. had a guest performance at Oulunsalo Soi Chamber Music Festival.

・Sep.  had a guest performance at the 10th memorial concert of Chamber Orchestra La Tempesta in Helsinki.

・a lot of writing, concerts, lecture talks for the 50th year anniversary of Sibelius’ death. 

・Dec. produced and conducted the forum “Finland, which a conductor has seen vol.2” sponsored by Tokyo Shinbun. Performed "Kullervo" there.

 

-in Sep. 2011, had a guest performance with Finnish Defence Forces Wind Brass “Pray for Japan”.

-in Sep. 2012, at the first co-starring with the Aichi Chamber Orchestra, the 11th performance of theirs, featured Symphony no.4 by Gade and had a great success. After the performance, they and her kept performing Gade’s symphony at their regular concerts. As a result of the formidable reputation, their performances were webcasted via Naxos Music Library. Currently we can watch their live recording of symphony no.3 and 4 and more recordings will be added in time to come.

-in Jul. 2013, had a guest performance at “Lieksa Brass Week“. Joensuu City Orchestra was conducted by her.

-in Oct. 2014, was inaugurated as the chairman of The Sibelius Society of Japan.

 

-in 2015

・Jan.  was inaugurated as a permanent conductor of Aichi Chamber Orchestra.

・Mar.  performed “Kullervo” with Finlandia Male Chor.Laulu Miehet for the 150th year anniversary of Sibelius’ birth, in Tokyo.

・a lot of writing such as [Melody of "Pohojola"] Gogatsu-shobo publisher, concerts, lecture talks for the 150th year anniversary of Sibelius’ birth. Especially

 

-in 2017

・Mar. attended a dinner party at the office of the Prime Minister when the Finnish President visited Japan.

 -Oct. South Denmark Philharmonic, which is based in Sonderborg, Denmark, got to know her approach over many years and invited her as a guest conductor for the regular concert with all-Denmark program at the 150th memorial year of establishment of diplomatic relations.

 

・Nov.  her activities were introduced in “Rondo”, the magazine of Finnish music.

 

-in 2019

・Jul-Aug. Yuri was invited to have a guest performance together with Aichi Chamber Orchestra at “Lieksa Brass Week” in Finland.

 

-in 2020

・Dec. performed all piano concertos of Beethoven with Gerhard Oppitz.

 

   In the field of authoring, she has contributed a music column, an essay, and an article to a newspaper and a music magazine, since 2004. She wrote program notes for NHK Symphony Orchestra and Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo, in 2007, as an expert of Nordic music.

   Yuri holds various significant positions in many institutions:

 

-She had been the regular conductor of "Aichi Chamber Orchestra" for 6 years and was honorably discharged in Dec. 2020.
-She had been a teacher of "Kunitachi College of Music" for 25 years and was honorably discharged in 2020. Keeps teaching at "Soai University".

-She is a Chairman of "Japan Sibelius Society".
-She belongs to the manegement office, "Tokyo Concerts Inc", since 2012.

   For bright future of hers and Japanese music industry, she is adding various Nordic music pieces to her repertoire. Composers like Jean Sibelius, Carl Nielsen, Einojuhani Rautavaara, and Kalevi Aho are going to have the lion’s share in her effort to achieve the best upshot.

One other objective of hers is to collaborate with many orchestras by making full use of her Nordic and Japanese repertoire. Furthermore, she is planning to introduce significant, yet-unknown, Nordic music pieces to the Japanese audience.