Hidemi Suzuki
Hidemi Suzuki was
born in Kobe, Japan,
and graduated from the
Toho-Gakuen College
of Music in Tokyo.
He studied the cello
with the late Professor
Yoritoyo Inoue and
Ken’ichiro Yasuda,
and conducting with
Professor Tadaaki Odaka
and Kazuyoshi Akiyama.
In 1979 he won first
prize at the All Japan
Music Competition
and in 1984 obtained
a scholarship from the
Japanese Government
to study with Professor
Anner Bijlsma at the
Royal Conservatory,
The Hague. He also
won first prize at the
first International Baroque
Cello Competition in
Paris in 1986 (for which
no other prizes were
awarded).
He has taught Baroque
music courses in Holland,
Italy, Spain, Portugal,
Switzerland, Australia,
Israel and Japan. He was
appointed Professor of
Baroque Cello in 1995
at the Royal Conservatory
in Brussels and currently
teaches at the Toyko
National University
of Fine Arts and Music.
Hidemi has given
successful solo
recitals and concerto
performances in Europe,
Israel, Macau, Australia
and Japan. He was a
member of the Orchestra
of the Eighteenth Century
from 1985 to 1993 and
is now principal cellist
of Bach Collegium
Japan. From 1992 until
January 2001, Hidemi
held the post of principal
cellist with the ensemble
La Petite Bande and
is now the founder of
the period instrument
ensemble, Orchestra
Libera Classica, Japan.
Unique to this ensemble,
each concert is recorded
"live" and is available
for purchase at the next
concert in the series.
Several of Hidemi’s
recordings have received
prestigious awards
including the Diapason
d’Or in France. He
was also awarded
by the Cultural Affairs
Department, Japan for
his recording of Bach’s
solo suites (Deutsch
Harmonia Mundi) and
received the “Academy
Award” under the
concerto category for
his recording of Haydn’s
concerti (DHM, with
La Petite Bande). Other
recordings include the
complete works of
Beethoven for piano
and cello (DHM), C.P.E.
Bach’s cello concerti
(BIS) and Leonardo Leo’s
6 cello concerti (BIS).
In 2006 he was awarded
the 37th Suntory prize
for his various activities
in 2005.
Hidemi Suzuki was
a founding member
of the Australian
Brandenburg Orchestra
and played in their first
season in 1990 at the
Sydney Opera House.