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Daisuke Muranaka conductor

Artsitic Director & Founder Orchester AfiA

International Guest Conductor English Chamber Orchestra

“Muranaka drove the music forcefully forward while retaining sprightly buoyancy, and summoned an appropriately heroic spirit…” (Claire Seymour)

In 2013 Daisuke Muranaka was appointed as an Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of newly formed Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, “Orchestra AfiA”, with which he has embarked upon the series of concerts entitled “Nature and Music” in Tokyo , with recording plans which includes Mendelssohn , Schumann, Schubert and the Beethoven Cycles. Recently he made a Japanese Premiere of the new chamber orchestra version of Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” with Orchestra AfiA and had a great critical approval in his country.

His recent featured concerts on the “Nature and Music” programme got a attention from all over the world, and became one of the nominee from over 2000 music institutions for the “Innovation Award” 2016 in Classical:NEXT.

Mr. Muranaka ’s glittering career as a conductor first came into prominence in 1996, when he made his operatic debut in Italy with “ Die Zauberflöte “ in Treviso Teatro Mario Del Monaco at two hours notice because of the sudden illness of Peter Maag, with whom he had a long musical partnership as an assistant of Peter Maag’s last years. His current worldwide Opera performances include La Grand Teatro La Fenice di Venezia , Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Theater St. Gallen, Teatro Comunale di Treviso “Mario del Monaco”, The National Theater in Tokyo and many others. Among which, in Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Mr. Muranaka ‘s interpretation of “Manon Lescaut” had a biggest acclaim after the newly reopened Scilian Theater with Norma Fantini in title role and Gazzettino di Treviso says “ Puccini must be conducted like this..”.

Performances have taken him to many concert Venues such as Verdi Hall (Milan), Palais des Beaux-Arts(Brussels), Cadogan Hall (London), Ueno Bunkakaikan(Tokyo) , Teatro Massimo , Teatro Politeama (Palermo), Grand Teatro Fenice(Venezia) and many others.

He has also conducted many Italian and Japanese premières for contemporary composers such as F. Pennisi and H.W.Henze, gaining the composer’s own praise for his interpretation.

His next European appearance will be in Malmesbury with the English Chamber Orchestra in May conducting Beethoven’2nd Symphony, and will be back to Tokyo to continue his 2016~17 Season with his Orchestra AfiA , including Mendelssohn Cycles.

Mr. Muranaka has enjoyed success as a conductor in Japan after winning prestigious “ Idemitsu Music Award 2001” and already conducted almost all Japanese Orchestras such as NHK Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic, Yomiuri Symphony, Kyoto Symphony, Nippon Century Orchestra, New Japan Symphony, Japan Symphony, Kyushu Symphony, Gunma Symphony, Tokyo City Pilharmonic and Tokyo New City Orchesta.

His discography includes a recording of Rachmaninov’s 3rd Piano Concerto with Paquale Ianonne (Phoenix) and Mendelssohn’ Scottish Symphony with the Orchestra AfiA(WAKA) that has been released released with great critical acclaim in Japan, recognized as one of the reference CDs in 2015.

Daisuke Muranaka’s last performance with the English Chamber Orchestra was the Schubert Tragic Symphony in Gloucestershire and the Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony in London’s Cadogan Hall in 2016.

In 2016 Daisuke Muranaka ‘s “Nature & Music “Concert Series was nominated from over 3000 Professional Classical Groups worldwide as one of the best 10 Innovative Idea for the Nominee of Innovation Award in Rotterdam.

From 2018, he returned to his second Heimat Italy to conduct several concerts and Operas, beginning at Teatro Massimo Bellini (Catania) , then at Teatro Politeama with Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana (2019) and at Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (2020).

In 2021 Daisuke will issue his 4th CD with 3rd Symphony of Schumann from WAKA Label in Japan.

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