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The Bell of Elm Symphony Orchestra
is an amateur orchestra based in Tokyo, founded in
1994 by former members of Hokkaido University Symphony
Orchestra. Currently, around 30% of our approximately
90 members are alumni of Hokkaido University, with
the remaining 70% consisting of amateur players who
share the orchestra's philosophy - to aim for top
standards while enjoying making music together. We
welcome members of all nationalities and are working
to create an environment where non-Japanese speakers
can participate fully in our activities.
At Bell of Elm, we feel it is important not only to
produce professional concerts that we can be proud
of and that the general public can enjoy, but also
to make rehearsals an interesting and satisfying experience
for all involved. Concert programmes feature works
from countries as far afield as Scandinavia and Russia,
and also include pieces by composers not usually tackled
by amateur orchestras in Japan. Our activities include
various events apart from our biannual concerts. As
well as summer and winter weekend orchestra camps
held near Mt. Fuji, players can participate in camps
for string players with Mr. Hamao Fujiwara, the concert
master of the Yomiuri Philharmonic, Woodwind/brass
ensembles, and play/sing Beethoven's 9th, not to mention
"Steve's Surprise" (sight-reading of new
works). |
 Elm
no kane (Bell of Elm)
At Hokkaido University in olden
times, a bell hung from an elm tree was used to
announce the time. The founders of Bell of Elm named
the orchestra after this tradition at their alma
mater. Members also refer to the orchestra as "ES"O"
(pronounced "Ezo"). This comes from the
initials Elm Symphony Orchestra, with the quotation
mark representing a bell hung from the "S".
"Ezo" is also an old name for the northern
island of Hokkaido.
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― This section introduces conductors
past and present ―
 Ｓｔｅｐｈｅｎ Ｄｏｍｉｎｉｃ Ｅｌｌｅｒｙ
 Official
Site
1966 - born in Exeter, U.K.
1988 - graduates with First Class Honors in clarinet
and composition from Birmingham Conservatoire. Awarded
a prize for outstanding composition work. Receives the
Birmingham Jazz Soloist prize for saxophone recitals in
the same year. Receives a scholarship from the Polish
government to study conducting under Yergei Katlewitz
at the Krakow Academy in Poland.
1991 - awarded a scholarship from the Soviet Ministry
of Culture to study composition under world-famous Ilya
Mushin at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire. 1997 - becomes
an Honorary Fellow of the Birmingham Conservatoire. Becomes
Artistic Director of Peru's Alequiba Symphony Orchestra.
Becomes deputy conductor for the St. Petersburg Golkofskaya
Orchestra, while working as conductor of the Irkutsk Opera
Ballet Theater and the Vladivostock Opera Symphony Orchestra.
Conducts three times for the National Symphony Orchestra
of Peru. 1998 - awarded a scholarship by the Japanese
Ministry of Culture to study conducting at Tokyo University
of Art.
1999 - conducts performances of the Klasnoyalsk Academic
Symphony Orchestra (January), the Osaka Philharmonic (April)
and the Calcutta Fund Orchestra in India (programme including
pieces by Rabindranas Tagoor). In the same year, he is
a semi-finalist in the Leeds Conducting Concours in the
U.K., and receives a Diploma of Merit in the Antonio Pedrotti
International Conducting Concours in Turin, Italy. Receives
the third prize in the 6th Fittleberg International Conducting
Concours in Katowitz, Poland.Also awarded the Katowitz
Radio Prize, the Katowitz Academy of Music Best Artist
Prize, and the Poland Music Publishers Prize for his performance
of Anje Giadek's "First Symphony".
2000 - Conducts the opera, "Gala Concert" at
Katsushika Symphony Hills in December.
2001 - Makes his debut with Poland's Lublin Philarmonic
in September, and conducts the Venus Orchestra at Katsushika
Symphony Hills in November. Conducts the Tokyo City Philharmonic
in July 2002 and performances of the musical "Cavaleria
Rusticana" and "道化師" at the Mori Theater
in Fuchu.
Currently studying for a PhD at Tokyo University of Art,
focusing on Mahler's symphonies.
Speaks: English, Russian, Spanish, Polish, French, Italian,
German and Japanese.
中田 昌樹
Masaki Nakata - Conductor Emeritus
Masaki
Nakata was born in 1951 in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
He graduated from Sapporo Nishi High School and the Instrumental
Music Department of Kunitachi College of Music, Studying
in France after graduation. He studied conducting under
Pierre Dervaux at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris
and was awarded a Premier Prix in his first year. After
graduation, he continued to work with Kirill Kondrasin (Netherlands),
Herbert von Karayan and the Berlin Philharmonic.
1980 - Studied under Seiji Ozawa and Leonard Bernstein at
the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts, U.S.A.
1981 - Made his Japanese debut in April, conducting the
Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, and followed this with his European
debut in October, as the first Japanese conductor to conduct
a regular concert of the Pasdeloup Orchestra (founded in
1861).
1982-3 - Invited to appear at the Berlioz Festival in Lyon,
France and employed as assistant conductor to the chief
conductor of the Orchestre National de Lyon, Serge Baudo.
Working to increase international exchange through music,
he participated in the International Holland Music Sessions
organized by the Consulate General of the Netherlands,
producing and conducting concerts with the Utrecht Student
Orchestra, Heemstede Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly
the Heemstede Chamber Orchestra) and Japanese composers
in an effort to introduce modern Japanese compositions
to the world.
In October 1995, he joined the Operatic Productions Department
of the New National Theater (Shin Kokuritsu Gekijo), responsible
for producing operas and representing the theater at the
international Opera Conference, held in April each year
and attended by 170 musical groups from 20 countries.
He regularly participated in the General Directors' Sessions
of the conference as a panelist. In July 1999, he left
the New International Theater to focus on his conducting
activities.
Managed by: Music Plaza (as of 2000)
 ロバート・ライカー
Robert Ryker - Conductor Emeritus
In 1960, Robert Ryker graduated from Indiana University
and became the solo tuba player with the Montreal Symphony
Orchestra, playing in over 2,000 concerts.
He went on to study conducting at various musical institutions,
including the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.
In 1974 he won the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conducting
concours and in 1975, the US National Conducting Competition.
Mr. Ryker has acted as supervisor of the Montreal Philharmonia
Orchestra, musical advisor to the Calcutta Symphony Orchestra
and special advisor to the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra.
He has appeared as guest conductor with various orchestras
in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. He has also helped set
up and produce a variety of musical organizations and events,
including the North Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Arts Pyrenees
summer music Festival, the Calcutta Symphony Orchestra Conducting
Symposium, the Northern Arts & Music Association and
the International Tuba and Euphonium Association. He also
created an audience development program for symphony orchestras
known as Mini-Concerts. In 1996, he received a knighthood
for his services to music.
In Japan, he produced the Connoisseur Concert Series with
the Japan Sinfonia and Suntory Hall, and conducted the Bach/Handel
300th Anniversary Commemorative Concert at the Tokyo Cathedral,
as well as conducting the New Japan Philharmonic and the
Tokyo Philharmonic orchestras. He conducted the George Enescu
Philharmonic and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for the 1997
season. In May 1999, he conducted the Kiev Chamber Orchestra.
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 藤原浜雄
Hamao Fujiwara - Trainer (Violin)
Mr. Fujiwara began studying the violin
from the age of three; receiving instruction from his mother,
a graduate of the Tokyo School of Music (now the music department
of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music).
He studied under Saburou Sumi, Toshiya Eto, Yoshio Unno
and Hideo Saito at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, before
studying at the Juilliard School under Joseph Fuchs.
While at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, he studied conducting
under Hideo Saito and Kazuyoshi Akiyama. He came first in
the Japan National Student Music Concours and the NHK/Mainichi
Shimbun Japan Music Concours.
In 1968, he came second in the Paganini International Violin
Competition in Italy, and third in the Queen Elisabeth International
Music Competition in Belgium, receiving the highest honors
of any Japanese participant thus far.
After graduating from the Juilliard School, he spent over
twenty years in the United States, participating as a soloist
and performing with chamber groups. In 1971 he performed
before Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun on the occasion of
their visit to the US at a welcoming concert held by the
Belgian government. In 1972, he made his US orchestral debut
with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as understudy
to Nathan Milstein, one of the leading violinists of the
20th century. Since November 1992, he has been Solo Concertmaster
of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Japan.
Mr. Fujiwara is also a prominent music educator who has
served on the faculties of the Juilliard School (1979-1988),
the Manhattan School of Music (1987-1989), and the University
of Michigan School of Music (1988-1992). Since April 1993
he has taught at the Toho Gakuen School of Music and the
Tokyo College of Music.
He performed as soloist for the Bell of Elm Symphony Orchestra
7th Regular Concert in 1998, playing Sibelius' Violin Concerto
in D minor and for the 14th Regular Concert in 1993, playing
Brahms' Violin Concerto in D Major.
林 憲秀
Norihide Hayashi - Trainer (Oboe& English Horn)
Norihide Hayashi was born in Tokyo and studied the oboe
under Masashi Homma while at the Toho Gakuen School. After
graduating from Toho Gakuen University he entered the Manhattan
School of Music and studied the oboe under Joseph Robinson,
performing with the Manhattan Baroque and Heart Wrenching
ensembles and the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra. He
also acted as coach and oboe soloist with the Long Island
Youth Orchestra on their world tour, performing in concerts
in Europe and Asia.
He entered the postgraduate program at the State University
of New York and received a scholarship to study the oboe
under Robert Botti. He graduated with a Master's degree
and was awarded the Alvin Brehm Prize, performing in a commemorative
concert, before making his concerto debut with the Purchase
Symphony Orchestra the same year.
 He
continued to make guest performances with the New York Philharmonic
and played the cor anglais in the Bert Lucarelli Ensemble.
He received acclaim for his performance with Robert Botti
in a lecture-concert held by the New York radio station,
WQXR. While pursuing his Doctorate at Stony Brook University,
he acted as assistant teacher at the school. He also performed
as principal oboist with the State Symphony Orchestra of
Mexico and was invited to perform as soloist at the Zacatecas
Music Festival.
After his return to Japan, Hayashi joined Kayosha Co.,
Ltd. as director and continues to teach ensembles and
amateur orchestras.
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| Copyright (C) 2003The Bell Of Elm
Symphony Orchestra. All Rights Reserved |
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