Meet Shizuo Z Kuwahara

“He has huge expressive power and vigorous energy.”

“Kuwahara created the most brilliant sound and brought the orchestra to life.”

Shizuo Z Kuwahara is an acclaimed conductor whose career ascended rapidly after winning First Prize at the prestigious Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in Frankfurt, Germany, and Third Prize at the Malko International Conducting Competition. Following these achievements, he received invitations from esteemed orchestras such as the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, the Polish Chamber Orchestra, L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, and the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester.

In 2018, Kuwahara made a sensational debut at The Mariinsky Theatre with Verdi’s La Traviata, under the invitation of Valery Gergiev. This led to a long-term relationship with the company, where he was subsequently invited to conduct Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Puccini’s Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, Verdi’s Macbeth, Rigoletto, and several orchestral programs. In recognition of his outstanding work, he was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of The Mariinsky Theatre the following year. He recently debuted with The Mariinsky Ballet Company, conducting the new production of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé.

A Japanese-American residing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Kuwahara has led performances across Europe, North & South America, and Asia. His engagements have included concerts with the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Salta, Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Symphony, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and the Wrocław Philharmonic. He has also served as an assistant and cover conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and Orchestre de Paris. This season, he will debut with the New Japan Philharmonic, Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu, and Opera Brașov in Romania.

Kuwahara’s previous positions include staff conductor and League of American Orchestras conducting fellow with the Philadelphia Orchestra, where he apprenticed under Christoph Eschenbach. He has also been an assistant conductor to Seiji Ozawa at the Saito Kinen Festival, conducting the Ozawa Jyuku Orchestra, and to Valery Gergiev at the Pacific Music Festival. Early in his career, Kuwahara served as Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Activities at the College of William & Mary and American University, and as Associate Conductor of the Virginia Symphony. He was the Music Director of the Augusta Symphony in Georgia, USA, from 2009 to 2016.

In addition to his competition accolades, Kuwahara has received prizes from the Ionel Perlea International Conducting Competition, Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting, Prokofiev International Conducting Competition, and the Fitelberg International Competition. He is a recipient of the Georg Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, Georgia Trend’s 2011 40 Under 40, Augusta Region’s Top Ten in Ten Young Professionals, Greater Augusta Arts Council’s 2011 Art Professional Award, and the 2011 S&R Washington Award. Since 2016, he has served as the Ambassador of Tourism for the City of Yokkaichi, Japan, his hometown.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kuwahara holds a Master’s Degree in Conducting from Yale University, where he was awarded the Charles Ives Full Scholarship and the Eleazar de Carvalho Prize. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he received an Arts Leadership Program Certificate, Performer’s Certificate, and the George Eastman Scholarship. His mentors include David Effron, Lawrence Leighton Smith, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Timothy Muffitt, and Michael Jinbo, with studies at the Aspen Music Festival, National Conducting Institute, Pierre Monteux School, and the Chautauqua Music Institute.