In her impressive ten-year career, Keiko Mitsuhashi has made a name for herself as one of the top conductors in the world. Her accomplishments include being the youngest–and the first–Japanese to win the Antonio Pedrotti International Conducting Competition (2008), landing a spot in Newsweek Japan’s list of “100 Japanese People the World Respects” (2009), and winning the second prize in the Arturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition (2010)–the highest award ever given to a female conductor. Mitsuhashi has trained under legendary conductors, including Seiji Ozawa, and has become an inspiring role model.
Mitsuhashi’s love for music started from a very young age. She began taking piano lessons when she was five years old. In her third year of middle school, she was chosen along with a few talented others to perform abroad in Israel–it was a life-changing experience. Her class met with Nobel Prize-winning Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and they all took turns composing a short melody on the piano according to the beat he created on the spot. Rabin and his wife were enthralled by Mitsuhashi’s performance, and their encouragement touched her immensely. “I couldn’t understand Hebrew, yet through music I was able to communicate with them,” recalls Mitsuhashi. “That trip opened my eyes to the power of music, and the ability it had to speak to people, regardless of race, culture, and language.”
Sadly, a few days after their meeting, Rabin was assassinated by an extremist. His tragic death left young Mitsuhashi in shock, but also compelled her to reevaluate her goals and purpose in life. She initially wanted to study law, but her interaction with Rabin, and the experiences she had during her trip, made her realize that music was her true calling. Growing up, Mitsuhashi often took the lead during school recitals and watched videos of maestros conducting large orchestras. She was fascinated by the beautiful music made during rehearsals. Her decision to pursue a career as a conductor became an easy and obvious choice. Upon graduating from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, she sought to further educate herself in Europe.
“Studying abroad opened my mind to diversity and the possibilities of working globally,” says Mitsuhashi. “I was one of the few female students in my university in Japan, and I felt that I was constantly fighting to prove myself. Going to Europe changed my views of women in leadership roles, and liberated me from that fear and anxiety of being a female in this male-dominated industry.”
“I’ve been working as a conductor for ten years,” she continues, “and only now have people stopped telling me that I’m the first female conductor at an event or concert. It doesn’t bother me, but it does remind me that women are still a minority in this industry. I didn’t have a lot of female role models to look up to growing up, so I believe it’s my responsibility to set an example for young girls.”
While her busy schedule doesn’t allow her to give private lessons, Mitsuhashi admits that she has a passion for teaching children. This is the reason she accepted an offer to conduct the orchestra at Kanagawa Kenritsu Ongakudo’s yearly Summer Vacation Concert. Mitsuhashi has been involved in the event since 2016, working closely with the staff at Kanagawa Kenritsu to coordinate and choose songs that fit the year’s chosen theme. This summer’s theme is “love.” Risako Tanaka and Satofumi Yamamoto will be the first ballet dancers to ever perform for the Summer Vacation Concert, while countertenor singer Daichi Fujiki returns this year to deliver a solo performance.
“There are many concerts for children where they just sit and listen to the music,” says Mitsuhashi. “But at our event, we want them to participate, experience, and feel what it’s like to actually be a part of it. They’ll guide guests, handle lighting and sound, make announcements, and even come up on stage during the concert to watch the orchestra play right in front of their eyes.”
Throughout a two-day workshop, fifteen children will train as staff members in the concert hall. Two will be selected to take piano and conducting lessons under Mitsuhashi, and will help lead a few songs during the concert. These workshops are limited to children (elementary to middle school), but Mitsuhashi stresses that the concert is a family-oriented event that people of all ages can enjoy. Anybody (70 people max) can sign up to join the chorus, attend practice with the orchestra the day before the concert, and sing in front of an audience.
“Through workshops and events like this, I hope children will feel inspired by classical music and that it will become an important aspect of their lives.” It’s no surprise that Mitsuhashi was chosen to take the helm of the Summer Vacation Concert. Not only is she an inspiration to children who aspire to work in her industry, but she also has all the requisite qualities of a good leader. Mitsuhashi values and respects the musicians she works with. To her, they are one body and one soul.
“People often assume that the relationship between the conductor and orchestra is similar to that of a boss and his/her employees,” laughs Mitsuhashi. “The way I see it, the role of a conductor is to communicate with the musicians and bring unity through teamwork. I have a lot of responsibilities as a conductor, but it’s not necessarily my job to lead or manage the orchestra. I collaborate with them.”
“The beauty of orchestra,” she says, “is the diversity among the performers. It is made up of many different individuals, and that moment when we all click and work together to create music–that’s when the magic happens.”
When asked if there’s any advice she’d like to pass on to aspiring musicians and conductors, Mitsuhashi was quick to reply. “Try everything while you’re still young,” she says. “Don’t focus on just one particular craft. Explore many different hobbies. As a child, I was curious about everything. I realize now, that everything I did back then relates to what I do now in my profession.”
“Not a single thing that you do in life is a waste,” she continues. “Your background, the people you meet, the accumulated experiences of your childhood–even the ones you thought were irrelevant–will add more depth and meaning to your craft.”
Keiko Mitsuhashi: Summer Vacation Orchestra will be held in Yokosuka Arts Theatre on August 12th.