HOLLYWOOD SOUNDS

November 3, 2018
at 7:30 p.m.

Keitaro Harada is a dazzling presence on the podium and conducts the Cincinnati Symphony and around the world. He is bringing with him the stunning violin prodigy Christina Nam to perform Korngold’s lush Violin Concerto. Included in this November 3rd concert, Harada is presenting composer Matt Jackfert for a world premiere of two works.

Conductor Keitaro Harada

Conductor Keitaro Harada continues to be recognized at the highest levels for his artistic abilities and passion for musical excellence. As a three-time recipient of The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (2014, 2015, 2016), Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview (2013), the Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellowship at Tanglewood Music Festival, a student of Lorin Maazel at Castleton Festival and Fabio Luisi at Pacific Music Festival, Harada’s credentials are exemplary.

In his third season as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops, Harada regularly assists Music Director Louis Langrée and conducts the CSO, POPS, and World Piano Competition, and assists James Conlon and Juanjo Mena for the May Festival. Keitaro also holds the position of Associate Conductor of the Arizona Opera.

With a growing schedule as an international guest conductor, Harada’s recent and coming seasons mark several high-profile engagements including the Pacific Music Festival by invitation of Valery Gergiev, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in Japan and with Boise Philharmonic, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony and Music in the Mountains Festival in the USA. Most recently, he conducted Song from the Uproar for Cincinnati Opera, debuted with Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted a run of Bizet’s Carmen for Sofia National Opera in Bulgaria that will reprise with a Japan tour of the same production later in 2018.

Past seasons held an invitation to the prestigious Mahler Competition in Germany and his conducting debut in Japan with the New Japan Philharmonic in a sold out performance as well as his debut with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He led performances of Carmen for Arizona Opera and conducted concerts with Tucson Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Sierra Vista Symphony, and Orquesta Filarmónica de Sonora. He held the position of Associate Conductor for Richmond Symphony from autumn of 2014 to spring of 2016.

In 2013, Harada was selected by the League of American Orchestras as one of only six conductors for the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview, a prominent showcase that occurs biennially in an effort to promote gifted, emerging conductors to orchestra industry leaders. In 2012, Harada was a semi-finalist at the 9th Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors in Poland. In 2011, Harada was one of ten semi-finalists invited by Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony to participate in the First Chicago Symphony Orchestra Solti International Conducting Competition and he made his professional opera conducting debut with North Carolina Opera.

Early in his career, Harada served as Music Director of the Phoenix Youth Symphony. During his tenure, he elevated the organization’s profile, expanded their season; added challenging repertoire, and took the symphony on a European tour that culminated with a master class on the main stage of the Berlin Philharmonic.

A native of Tokyo, Japan, Harada is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Mercer University. He completed his formal conducting training at University of Arizona with Thomas Cockrell and Charles Bontrager. He has also studied under Christoph von Dohnányi, Robert Spano, Michael Tilson Thomas, Oliver Knussen, Herbert Blomstedt, Vladimir Ponkin, Adrian Gnam and Stefan Asbury. Harada champions creative programming, development of the orchestra as a part of a community’s cultural fabric, advancement of each musician he encounters, and responsibility as an artistic and civic leader.

Very early in his career, he was selected as a guest artist for National Public Radio’s From the Top and is featured as a favorite guest alumnus on their PBS television documentary. Arizona Public Broadcasting produced a documentary on the bright career of Keitaro titled: “Music…Language Without Words” for the television series AZ Illustrated in 2013. Harada’s general manager is JEJ Artists. Engagements in Asia are managed by Japan Arts. http://kharada.com

Christina Jihee Nam, violinist

Since her solo debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at age 9, virtuoso violinist Christina Jihee Nam (age 15) has concertized around the world appearing in recitals and as soloist with numerous orchestras across the globe.

Recipient of many accolades both at international and national competitions, Ms. Nam recently received second prize in the esteemed Cooper International Violin Competition where she appeared with Maestro Jahja Ling and the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Other prizes include semi-finalist at the 8th Louis Spohr International Competition in Weimar, Germany (2016) and top prizes and recognition from the Overture Awards, Louisville Orchestra Young Artists, Sejong Music, Clark J. Haines Memorial, Jack and Lucille Wonnell Young Artists, Lakeland Young Artists, Clifton Music Club, Cincinnati Symphony Club and the Belew Young Artist Competition. Christina holds the distinct honor of being a two-time winner of the Philadelphia International Music Festival Competition. Recently Christina received invitations to perform in two major competition’s concerts, as semi-finalist in the Johansen International Competition in March (Washington, D.C.) and the Junior category of the prestigious Menuhin Competition in April (Geneva, Switzerland).

Nam’s solo career has included appearances with many symphony orchestras across the country. In addition to her performances with the prominent orchestras of Cincinnati and Cleveland, she has performed with the Great Wall Soloists, Seven Hills Sinfonietta, Miami Valley Symphony, Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony, Wright State University Symphony, Lakeland Civic Orchestra, Butler Philharmonic, and the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. She has also appeared as soloist with the Starling Chamber Orchestra numerous times, most notably in 2011 at the National Convention of American String Teachers Association in Atlanta and in 2016 as soloist on the SCO’s China Tour. Her credits internationally also include an invitation in 2012 to perform in the very concert that inaugurated the Harpa International Music Academy in Reykjavik, Iceland.

A devoted chamber musician, Christina has collaborated with the incomparable Rohan De Silva and worked with members of the American, Ying, Cavani, Great Wall, and the Ariel string quartets. A born leader, Ms. Nam serves as the concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Walnut Hills High Chamber Orchestra, and the Starling Chamber Orchestra.

In the past she has spent her summers traveling to various festivals at home and abroad. From the Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing, Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine, and the Cincinnati Young Artist Chamber Music Festival at home in Cincinnati to the Insbrook Institute in Missouri, Meadowmount School of Music in New York, and the Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy in Canada.

Her recording and broadcast credits include two appearances on NPR’s radio show “From the Top” and PBS/CET’s “Showcase with Barbara Kellar”. Nam can be heard on Volumes I and II of the Violin Recital Album of the Sassmanshaus Tradition published by Bärenreiter.

Christina started playing the violin when she was only 4 years old and began studying with her current teacher, renowned pedagogue Kurt Sassmanshaus, at the age of 7. In addition to her studies with Prof. Sassmanshaus, Nam studies with Associate Concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra, Amy J. Lee and has worked with Jan Mark Sloman of the Cleveland Institute of Music.

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