Hirokazu Amakasu graduated from Tokyo College of Music and was a principal for the Symphonic Wind Ensemble led by Yasuhiko Shiozawa. He studied conducting with Akihito Mihara and Hisaatsu Kondo, and music in general with Hiroshi Hoshina. He furthered his studies under H. Robert Reynolds, Glenn D. Price, and Gary Hill at the Los Angeles Conducting Institute, and also took master classes with Douglas Bostock. He spent many years studying under Professor Junichi Hirokami as a trainee in the conducting department of Tokyo College of Music.
Amakasu won first place and a special orchestra prize at the Warsaw International Wind Ensemble Conducting Competition (2021), and second place at the Frederick Fennell Conducting Competition (2024). He is also a recipient of the 32nd Japan Wind Orchestra Academy Award.
Recognised as one of Japan’s leading band directors, Amakasu is a frequent clinician at the Japan Band Clinic and the Japanese Band Directors Association’s conference. He is active as an adjudicator for band and ensemble contests, contributes to method books and band magazines, and his lectures have been produced on DVD. His enthusiastic and practical teaching style is highly valued throughout Japan. In recent years, he has also been invited to give seminars across Asia and Europe.
He serves as an executive committee member of the 21st Kyo-En Project, an annual concert dedicated to presenting unpublished and premiere works by outstanding Japanese composers. Notably, he conducted the wind orchestra at the closing ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Amakasu is currently conductor of the Kanagawa University Symphonic Band and music director of the Yamamomo Symphonic Band.
The Band Post is delighted to interview Hirokazu Amakasu following his and the Kanagawa University Symphonic Band’s tour to Singapore at the recent Asia and Pacific Band Directors’ Association (APBDA) Conference 2025.
How did your time at Tokyo College of Music, and your studies with teachers such as Yasuhiko Shiozawa and Hiroshi Hoshina, shape your musical life and development as a conductor?
東京音楽大学での学びや、塩澤安彦先生や保科洋先生といった師との出会いは、あなたの音楽人生や指揮者としての成長にどのような影響を与えましたか。
I turn 50 this year, and I have made it my personal theme to never stop learning. Meeting good teachers, and absorbing not only their words but also their way of life, has been invaluable. In fact, I may have learned even more as an adult than I did as a student.
私は今年で50歳になりますが、「学び続けること」を自分のテーマとしています。良き師に出会い、その言葉だけでなく生き方からも多くを吸収できたことは、何にも代えがたい財産です。むしろ、学生時代よりも大人になってからの方が、さらに多くを学んできたのかもしれません。]
How have your experiences conducting the Yamamomo Symphonic Band, other community ensembles, and participating in conducting competitions contributed to your growth as a conductor?
The Yamamomo Symphonic Band is a community band founded by my former students, and thanks to them I have learned so much—such as how a particular gesture can produce a particular sound. It is also a great joy to encounter a variety of works, sometimes together with professional musicians. For me, “teaching” is also “learning.” I want to treasure each and every opportunity.
やまもも交響吹奏楽団は、私の教え子たちが立ち上げた一般バンドです。彼らのおかげで、「ある身振りがある音を生み出す」ということを学びました。プロの音楽家と共演する機会もあり、多様な作品に出会えることも大きな喜びです。私にとって「教えること」は同時に「学ぶこと」でもあり、一つひとつの機会を大切にしていきたいと思っています。
Winning first prize at the Warsaw International Wind Ensemble Conducting Competition and second at the Frederick Fennell Conducting Competition must have been significant milestones. What did these achievements mean to you personally and professionally?
ワルシャワ国際吹奏楽指揮コンクールでの第1位、フェネル指揮コンクールでの第2位は、大きな節目だったと思います。これらの成果は、あなたにとってどのような意味を持ちましたか。
These results gave me a little more confidence in what I am doing. It was also meaningful to be able to show my students what it looks like to take on a challenge. And for me, it was especially significant to connect with colleagues around the world who share the same aspirations.
自分のしていることに少し自信を持てるようになりました。また、挑戦する姿を学生たちに見せることができたのも大きな意味がありました。さらに、同じ志を持つ世界中の仲間とつながることができたことが、何より貴重でした。
Conducting at the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony must have been an extraordinary experience. Beyond that, could you share other memorable moments or episodes from your conducting career that stand out to you?
東京オリンピック閉会式での指揮は特別な経験だったと思います。それ以外に、あなたの指揮人生で心に残る場面やエピソードを教えてください。
I have experienced many performances, and regardless of the scale or the size of the audience, there have always been moments when I truly connected with the performers, and when together with the audience our hearts were moved. Each and every one of those moments is a treasure to me. At the recent APBDA as well, I was fortunate to experience many such moments, and I felt very happy.
数多くの演奏を経験してきましたが、規模や観客数にかかわらず、演奏者と心が通じ合い、観客と一体となって心が揺さぶられる瞬間がありました。その一つひとつが私にとって宝物です。最近のAPBDAでも、まさにそうした瞬間を数多く経験でき、とても幸せに感じました。
How would you describe your conducting style, and how did it develop over the course of your career?
ご自身の指揮スタイルをどのように表現されますか。また、それはどのように形成されてきましたか。
I try to guide the performers into a relaxed state, so that through deep breathing they can produce a rich resonance. “Sound reflects the person.”
演奏者が深い呼吸を通して豊かな響きを生み出せるよう、リラックスした状態へ導くことを心がけています。「音は人なり」。
As conductor of the Kanagawa University Symphonic Band, what kind of musical and personal growth do you hope to instill in your students?
神奈川大学吹奏楽部の指揮者として、学生たちにどのような音楽的・人間的成長を望んでいますか。
I hope that through their daily activities they will experience many moments that move their hearts. The emotions born in such moments vibrate the air, become sound, and then reach the hearts of the audience, moving them in turn. That is the wonder of music.
I also want them to experience the joy of wholehearted commitment, the joy of working hard with their peers, and the joy of pursuing something to the very end.
日々の活動の中で、心が動かされる瞬間をたくさん経験してほしいと思っています。その感情が空気を震わせ、音となり、観客の心に届き、また心を動かす――これこそ音楽の素晴らしさです。
仲間と本気で取り組む喜び、努力する喜び、やり遂げる喜びもぜひ経験してほしいと願っています。
The recent APBDA conference was the band’s first visit to Singapore. What impressions did you have of Singapore’s music scene and its audiences, and what takeaways or lessons did you and your students gain from the experience?
今回のAPBDAが、神奈川大学吹奏楽部にとって初めてのシンガポール訪問でした。シンガポールの音楽シーンや聴衆にどのような印象を持ちましたか。また、あなたや学生にとっての学びは何でしたか。
The audience listened with full concentration and responded directly when the performance ended – I thought they were truly wonderful listeners. Backstage too, I was always surrounded by smiling staff, which allowed me to step onto the stage without any anxiety or dissatisfaction. I am deeply grateful for that.
観客は集中して聴き、演奏が終わると直接的に反応してくれました。本当に素晴らしい聴衆だと思いました。舞台裏でも常に笑顔のスタッフに囲まれ、不安や不満なくステージに上がることができました。深く感謝しています。
The Kanagawa University Symphonic Band is highly regarded not only in Japan but also internationally. How do you perceive this reputation and the expectations that come with it?
神奈川大学吹奏楽部は、日本国内だけでなく国際的にも高く評価されています。その評価と期待をどのように受け止めていますか。
Compared to when I was a student 30 years ago, the world has changed dramatically. If, through music, young people can interact, transcend language and culture, and help build a more harmonious world, nothing could make me happier.
私が学生だった30年前と比べ、世界は劇的に変わりました。音楽を通じて若者が交流し、言語や文化を超えて、より調和の取れた世界づくりに貢献できるなら、これほど幸せなことはありません。
What aspects of Japan’s unique wind band culture do you feel most proud of, and what would you like to share with the world?
日本独自の吹奏楽文化の中で、最も誇りに思うこと、そして世界に伝えたいことは何ですか。
That it values harmony, and that it treasures the appeal of the “whole” over the “individual.”
「和」を大切にし、個よりも全体の魅力を重んじる点です。
You are also active as a clinician and lecturer for the Japan Band Clinic and the Band Directors Association. As an educator, what is the most important message you hope to convey?
ジャパンバンドクリニックやバンドディレクターズ協会で講師としても活動されていますが、教育者として最も伝えたいメッセージは何ですか。
There is a saying by playwright Hisashi Inoue that I always keep in mind:
“Make difficult things easy. Make easy things deep. Make deep things interesting. Take fun things seriously. Make serious things cheerful. And keep cheerful things cheerful all the way.”
私は常に井上ひさし氏の言葉を心に留めています。
「むずかしいことをやさしく。
やさしいことをふかく。
ふかいことをおもしろく。
おもしろいことをまじめに。
まじめなことをゆかいに。
そして、ゆかいなことはあくまでゆかいに。」
Finally, what advice would you like to share with young musicians and aspiring conductors?
最後に、若い音楽家や指揮者を志す人々に向けて、どんなアドバイスを贈りたいですか。
“The Earth is a planet of action.” Let’s take action and create many new encounters! And remember, a smile is the passport to the world. Music makes people smile 🙂
「地球は行動の星です。」ぜひ行動を起こし、多くの新しい出会いをつくってください！そして忘れないでください、笑顔は世界へのパスポートです。音楽は人を笑顔にします🙂