Oboist, conductor
Hansjörg Schellenberger was born in 1948 and raised by parents who were ardent music lovers, thus, he became keenly interested in music at an early age. He started playing the oboe at the age of 13 and then studied oboe, conducting, and mathematics in Munich and Detmold.
After winning prizes in major music competitions, including the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Mr. Schellenberger became oboist of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne in 1971 and held the post of solo oboist from 1975 through 1980. In 1977, he began working as a substitute at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Herbert von Karajan and then served as solo oboist from January 1980 through summer 2001. After he left the orchestra, he remained active musically, mainly as a conductor, soloist, and educator.
As a soloist, Mr. Schellenberger has performed with prominent conductors like Herbert von Karajan, Carlo Maria Giulini, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, James Levine, and many others. As a chamber musician, Mr. Schellenberger has developed diverse activities, mostly with Ensemble Wien-Berlin. In 1991, he founded Haydn Ensemble Berlin and served as its music director.
Mr. Schellenberger started to seriously pursue his career as a conductor in 1994. He has been invited to conduct orchestras in Europe and throughout the world. In autumn 2012 and 2016, he toured Japan leading Camerata Salzburg; both tours were highly acclaimed. Mr. Schellenberger has been chief conductor of the Okayama Philharmonic Orchestra since 2013 and jury chairman of the International Oboe Competition of Japan since 1994. The International Oboe Competition is held every three years and marked its 11th competition in 2015. He is also a professor at the Queen Sofia College of Music in Madrid.
Oboist
Maurice bourgue is unquestionably one of the finest oboist in the world today .He received first price in the international Wind competition in Birmingham then consequently won first prize in Munich,Prague and Budapest . And he receive the position of solo oboe of the Basel Orchestra and was later chosen by Charles Munch to become the solo oboist of the Orchestre de Paris.
His career as a soloist has brought him to major concert halls all over the world. He has played with I Musici, London Symphony, the Concertgebow, the Bayerische Rundfunk, to name a few, with such conductors as, Abbado, Barenboim, Chailly etc.
In 2011, He created the "Trio Maurice Bourgue" with Sergio Azzolini, bassoon, and Kimiko Imani, Piano.
Maurice Bourgue also started to explore the world of conducting .He has already conducted many orchestras.
During all his career Maurice Bourgue has been very active in teaching , Besides his permanent positions in the conservatoire national superieur de musique de Paris and Geneve , he gives Master class around the world where many oboe players are following his masterly courses.
Maurice Bourgue has recorded for EMI, Decca, DGG, Calliope, Nippon Columbia, ECM, and has received several Grand Prix de L'academie Charles Gros.
He has recently realized also a recording of chamber music for Warner with the best musicians from Boston symphony Orchestra.
And In 2018, he has the project to make the record of 3 concerti by Strauss, Martinu and Honneger.
He has been a member of the jury of THE INTERNATIONAL OBOE COMPETITION OF JAPAN since the 4th Competition in 1994.
Principal Oboist - New Japan Philharmonic
© Masanori Doi
While studying at Tokyo University of the Arts, Kenichi Furube was recognized by Seiji Ozawa and appointed principal oboist with the New Japan Philharmonic. He further studied under Günther Passin at the graduate school of the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. In 1999, Mr. Furube became the first oboist to win the Idemitsu Music Prize.
As a guest principal player, Mr. Furube has performed with the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra (NDR Symphony Orchestra), the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, he has performed with various orchestras in Japan and abroad, and also with such world-class artists as Emmanuel Pahud, Paul Meyer, Rainer Küchl, Akiko Suwanai, and Daishin Kashimoto.
Mr. Furube’s collaborations transcend genres, as he has performed concerts with Daisuke Suzuki, Katsumi Watanabe, and Makoto Ozone, to name a few. He has participated in several music festivals, including La Folle Journée au Japon, the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, the Miyazaki International Music Festival, the Kiso Music Festival, and Le Pont International Music Festival Ako & Himeji.
Conducting since the age of 15, Mr. Furube has performed as a conductor with the Shizuoka Symphony Orchestra, the Siena Wind Orchestra, and the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. He currently serves as a part-time lecturer at Tokyo College of Music, Soai University, and the Toho Orchestra Academy, as well as a guest professor at Sapporo Otani University (Faculty of Music and Fine Arts). He was recently invited to give a master class by his alma mater, the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.
Principal Oboe - London Chamber Orchestra, former Principal Oboe - Philharmonia Orchestra, Conductor
© Chris Fower
Gordon Hunt was born in London and studied with Terence MacDonagh. He performs throughout the world as soloist and conductor, directs master classes and plays with renowned chamber ensembles. He also has a distinguished orchestral career as Principal Oboe of the London Chamber Orchestra and the World Orchestra for Peace, and formerly, Principal Oboe of the Philharmonia and London Philharmonic Orchestras.
Regarded as one of the world's leading oboists, he has appeared as soloist with conductors such as Ashkenazy, Sir Andrew Davis, Giulini, Kondrashin, Muti, Sir John Pritchard, Sir Simon Rattle, Sinopoli and Welser-Möst.
Gordon Hunt has recorded a wide range of music for BMG, EMI, BIS and Virgin, including all of Mozart's solo music. His recording of the R.Strauss Concerto with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Ashkenazy (Decca) was named the finest available by the Penguin CD Guide.
As a conductor, he is becoming widely known. He has been Music Director of the Danish Chamber Players and the Swedish Chamber Winds.
He has conducted many orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra of South Africa,Danish Radio Sinfonietta, Southbank Sinfonia in London, to name a few. In recent years, he has conducted in Georgia, New Zealand, Brazil, the UK and the USA, with the Orchestra of St. Luke's in New York, and the Redlands Symphony in California.
Gordon Hunt is Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. He has been a member of the jury for "THE INTERNATIONAL OBOE COMPETITION OF JAPAN" since 1997. In 2010 he was designated a UNESCO Artist for Peace.
Gordon Hunt plays an LXV oboe made by Howarth of London.
Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts
Yoshiaki Obata graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music), after which he completed the master course at its graduate school. While at school, he won third prize in the wind instrument category at the 42nd Music Competition of Japan. From 1979 to 1982, Obata was a member of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. He then went to Berlin to pursue further studies. After returning to Japan, he became principal oboist with the New Japan Philharmonic. While serving as a professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, Obata has been enjoying extensive performing activities as soloist, chamber musician and player of early instruments.
Principal oboist - Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Dwight Parry is the principal oboist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Previously, was principal oboist of the San Diego Symphony and was a New World Symphony Fellow. He has been guest principal with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Los Angeles Opera, and the Deutsche Symphonie of Berlin. Originally from coastal Southern California, he found his musical passion with piano, voice, and saxophone. It was not until late in high school, however, that he began playing the oboe. His teachers were John Mack, Allan Vogel, and David Weiss, a gentleman who also taught him to surf!
Mr. Parry performs and teaches internationally with concertos, recitals, masterclasses, and chamber music. In recent seasons, he performed Francaix's Flower Clock, Mozart's Oboe Concerto, Marcello's Oboe Concerto, and four performances of his favorite piece, Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto.
When not holding an oboe, Mr. Parry can be found in the audience for local concerts and plays. He spends the rest of his time hiking, running, volunteering, tossing frisbees, reading and creating curiosities in the kitchen.
Mr. Parry is a Loreé artist.
Principal Bassoonist - Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo
© Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
After graduating from the Instrumental Music course at Musashino Academia Musicae, Masaru Yoshida enrolled in the Solo Performance class at the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media in 1986 and studied under Klaus Thunemann. In 1987, he joined the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie (a German select student orchestra) as principal bassoonist. He also performed with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra and Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.
Mr. Yoshida graduated from the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media in 1989. In the same year, he joined the Vlaamse Opera in Belgium as a principal player and also became principal bassoonist of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Yoshida has been a regular member of the Miyazaki International Chamber Music Festival since 1998 and has performed annually as principal bassoonist with the Saito Kinen Orchestra (Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival) since 2002.
Currently, Mr. Yoshida is a bassoonist with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, a coach at the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, a guest professor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, and an instructor at Musashino Academia Musicae.