Hiroshima Wind Orchestra

Performer Details

Performer Bio Synopsis

The Hiroshima Wind Orchestra (HWO) was formed in 1993 by professional musicians wishing to share the splendor of wind music and promote a message of world peace through wind band performance. HWO performed its first regular concert in October of the same year. Since then, HWO has held two regular concerts annually and expanded its outreach with increased school and public presentations. The orchestra also honors performance requests throughout Hiroshima Prefecture and beyond. The 11th regular concert in 1999 was performed as part of the "August in Hiroshima" World Music Festival. In 2003, HWO released "The Hounds of Spring", the first CD in its Band Classics Library (Brain Music) series. This top-selling collection is still in print, and includes a total of 12 CDs produced through 2009. During its 20th regular concert, which also marked the orchestra's 10th anniversary, HWO held a UNICEF Charity Event for Refugees. In 2011, Tatsuya Shimono became the orchestra's music director, implementing an ambitious program promoting Japanese band composition and other fine artistic repertoire. "Symphony for Wind Orchestra / Bin Kaneda", Mr. Shimono's inaugural CD with HWO, garnered attention as a "Special Selection" by The Record Geijutsu magazine, and won the Ongaku No Tomo Sha 49th Record Academy Award for "Wind Music, Special Category". HWO has also been awarded the "23rd Academy Award, Performance Category" from the Japan Academic Society of Wind Music, the 35th Hiroshima Culture Award, and the 2014 Hiroshima Citizens' Award. With its graceful, beautiful sound, and challenging program, Hiroshima Wind Orchestra has garnered attention from a variety of arts quarters. We will continue to take great strides to exceed the presumed expectations of a wind orchestra, leading our audiences to discover and experience exciting new possibilities.

Hiroshima Wind Orchestra

Conductor's Bio

Born in Kagoshima in 1969, Tatsuya Shimono cemented his international reputation as a conductor by winning First Prize and the Hideo Saito Award at Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting in 2000 and First Prize at the 47th Besançon International Competition in 2001. Since then he has guest conducted leading orchestras in Japan and abroad. Shimono has appeared with major orchestras such as Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra , Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, Silicon Valley Symphony and NHK Symphony Orchestra among others. Shimono served as Resident Conductor from 2006 to 2013 and Principal Guest Conductor from 2013 to 2017 of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra as well as Guest Conductor of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra since 2014, and is now Principal Guest conductor of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. He also holds the title of Music Director of the Hiroshima Wind Orchestra since 2011 as well as General Music Director of Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra since April, 2017. In addition to his symphonic leadership he also regularly conducts Opera at the New National Theatre Tokyo, Nissay Theatre, and Nikikai Opera amongst others.