In September 2001, at the age of 31, Tatsuya Shimono achieved international recognition when he was awarded First Prize at the 47th Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors, confirming his reputation both in and outside of Japan. Prior to this, he had already won the First Prize and the Hideo Saito Award at the Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting.
His passion for conducting was inspired by performance of Beethoven's 9th symphony, and after graduating from the Kagoshima University Faculty of Education (Music), he furthered his artistic development at the prestigious Toho Gakuen School of Music Conducting Seminar and in master classes with Myung-Whung Chung and Yuri Temirkanov at the Academia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy (1996), where he received the Diploma presented to the seminar's most outstanding student.
Returning to Japan in 1997, Tatsuya Shimono served as Assistant Conductor at the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, working with conductors such as Takashi Asahina,Yuzo Toyama, Hiroshi Wakasugi and Jean Fournet. Two years later, on a scholarship from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, he moved to Europe to complete his studies at the Vienna Musikhochschule, where he nourished his passion for the great German repertoire.

Once more in Japan, he quickly became a regular guest conductor with all the major Japanese orchestra including the NHK Symphony, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Sapporo Symphony, Sendai Philharmonic, Osaka Philharmonic, Kyoto Symphony and the Hiroshima Symphony .His opera debut in March 2005, conducting The Magical Flute at the New National Theatre Tokyo, received critical acclaim predicting a brilliant future as an opera conductor. Today, the remarkable collaboration he has with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra as its Resident Conductor, a specially-created post, has continued to capture the attention of both press and public since their first concert in November 2006, when they performed Mozart and Corigliano. In August 2008, he made his debut at the Saito Kinen Festival at the invitation of Seiji Ozawa. And this relation with Seiji Ozawa lead his return to Saito Kinen Festival already in 2010 as resident conductor of the festival and as result, Tatsuya substituted with Seiji Ozawa for 4 concerts with Saito Kinen Orchestra in Matsumoto and in December, Tatsuya made a debut in Carnegie Hall in New York together with Saito Kinen Orchestra.
For his outstanding musical activities Tatsuya Shimono is the recipient of many accolades including the Idemitsu and Akeo Watanabe Music awards, Nippon Steel Music Award and Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award.

桐朋学園大学卒業。鹿児島新人演奏会・県知事賞。フッペル平和祈念鳥栖ピアノコンクールグランプリ。オウルンサロ音楽祭(フィンランド)、セヴラック音楽祭(フランス)などに出演。11年、東京オペラシティにてソロリサイタルを行う。現在、舘野泉氏の唯一の弟子及び共演者として研鑽を積む。師と共演したＣＤは「アイノラ抒情曲集」、「祈り・・・子守歌」。

SHIBAYAMA, Hiroshi, born in 1948, studied at Waseda University and at Toho School of Music in Tokyo. In 1970 he joined The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. In 1977 he joined The New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and held the post of principal oboist until 1985. He has appeared many times with orchestras in Tokyo as soloist. Since leaving the orchestra, he has been active in a wide variety of musical fields such as contemporary music and performances on period instruments. He is currently teaching at Toho School of Music.

浜野考史（はまの　たかし、Vn）：東京音大卒。全日本学生音楽コンクール上位入賞。これまでに東京シティフィルのコンサートマスター、YAMATO弦楽四重奏団１ｓｔＶｎを務めた。現在、Theater orchestra Tokyo、東京ニューシティ管弦楽団のコンサートマスターを務める。 ＣＤに「山田耕作室内楽全曲」、「日本弦楽三重奏曲の世界 1 & 2 」（ミッテンヴァルドレーベル）。

小宮　直（こみや　なおる、Vn）東京藝大卒業、同大学院修了。故・東儀祐二、久合田緑、矢嶋佳子、故・田中千香士、ベラ・カトーナの各氏に師事。アムステルダムにてH・クレッバース氏のもとで研鑽を積む。第３２回文化放送音楽賞受賞。第２回日本モーツァルト音楽コンクール第３位。１９９２年、国際交流基金の派遣でジャパン・クインテットのメンバーとして中南米６都市にて公演。久合田緑弦楽四重奏団、新ヴィヴァルディ合奏団のメンバー等を経て、現在神奈川フィル首席奏者の他、ソロ、室内楽、録音・放送関係等でも活躍中。

伴野 剛（ともの ごう、Va）東京大学理学部中退、東京藝術大学音楽学部卒。これまでにヴィオラを菅沼準二、店村眞積、ヴァイオリンを井崎郁子、バロックヴァイオリンを若松夏美の各氏に師事。東京藝術大学管弦楽研究部首席奏者、ＮＨＫ交響楽団契約団員を経て、現在は菖蒲弦楽三重奏団、横浜シンフォニエッタ、各オーケストラ客演首席奏者などを中心に活動している。

西山　健一（にしやま　けんいち、Vc）東京芸術大学附属音楽高等学校を経て東京芸術大学卒業。在学中にアカンサス音楽賞受賞。また芸大オケと共演。東京芸術大学大学院在学中にNHK交響楽団のオーディションに合格。２００３年入団。第４回全日本ビバホールチェロコンクール入賞。これまでに河野文昭、菊地知也、マーティン・レーアの各氏に師事。

DINO AKIRA DECENA(Vn)
Dino Akira K. Decena came from a family of musicians. He started his formal training at the age of 5 under the tutelage of Mrs. Rosario Cruz. At the age of 7, he was granted a scholarship by the Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS) to train under world-renowned violinist Professor Basilio Manalo. In 1986, Mr. Decena won the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA). In that same year, he was the featured soloist of the PREDIS Orchestra under the baton of Mr. Manalo. Mr. Decena's versatile musical talent extends to playing the viola. In 1998, he became the viola principal of the Manila Symphony Orchestra II. The following year, he was one of the featured violist in the Bamboo Organ Festival together with Maestro Oscar Yatco and former energy minister, Mr. Geronimo Velasco. He finished his musical training in St. Scholastica's College under the direction of Professor Gina Medina. He was formally the Concertmaster of the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra until it disbanded in 2007. Currently, Mr. Decena is the Associate Concertmaster of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the nation's leading symphony orchestra.

JOANNA RUTH B. LIVIOCO(Vn)
Joanna Ruth started playing the piano when she was 6 years old and later studied the violin at age 11 at the University of the Philippines Extension Program. She pursued her violin studies in the same school taking up BM Violin under the tutelage of Prof. Arturo Molina. Later, she earned the UP Extension Program Scholarship and graduated cum laude in 2009. She has also been invited to be a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society upon graduation.
At the age of 12, she joined the Metro Manila Community Orchestra and the Manila Symphony Orchestra when she was 15. She attended various master classes and workshops such as the NAMCYA Special Summer Camp under Mr. Coke Bolipata in 2001, UP extension program summer workshop under Prof. Sergio Esmilla, Jr. in 2002, and the Starling - DeLay Symposium in 2003 among others. In 2008, she won 3rd place in the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) in violin category C. She has also become a featured soloist in Paco Park's Independence Day concert series in 2009 and in the years 2010 and 2011, she was accepted to be part of the Asian Youth Orchestra for a 6-week music camp and concert tour.
Presently, she is taking professional studies with Prof. Joseph Esmilla and is the assistant concertmaster of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

JOY ALLAN D. DE LA CRUZ(Va)
Violist Joy Allan Drilon Dela Cruz finished his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education Major in Viola (cum laude) from the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music in 2001, and was a prize winner at the 2002 National Music Competitions for Young Arists. His perfomances include solo viola recital at CASA San Miguel's Ramon Corpus Hall, San Antonio Zambales, performing the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with the Pundaquit virtuosi and violinist Alfonso Bolipata, his teacher and mentor; violist in the 2007 Virtuoso Strings Concert; violist of the Pundaquit Chamber Players; Clarion Music Ensemble and the Ramon Corpus StringQuartet; viola masterclass with Alexander Tomescu, Oscar Yatco and Paul Yarbrough, violist of the Alexander String Quartet. He was the former Principal Violist of various orchestras namely: the UST Symphony Orchestra, Metro Manila Community Orchestra, San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra. At the moment he is the Principal Violist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. At present he is a professor at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music and the Santa Isabel College Music Department where in the latter he is currently enrolled in the Master of Music in Music Education and Viola Performance.

HERRICK ORTIZ(Vc)
Herrick is a member of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO). He first studied cello under his aunt Remedios Isleta, then with Eduardo Pasamba and Herminia Ilano. He graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Music under Prof. Wilfredo Pasamba and Eduardo Pasamba. As a student, he was a member of the Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS) and the Manila Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO). Also, he won honorable mention at the 1999 National Music Competition for Young Artists. In 2004, he attended the Asia Suzuki Conference in Taiwan and studied under renowned Suzuki teacher trainors from Korea Prof. Hyun Minja and Professor Lee Si Ok.
Currently, Herrick teaches Suzuki Cello at Greenhills Music Studio and Philippine Suzuki Association (PSA) and already finished his Suzuku training under the supervision of ASA ( Asia Suzuki Association) . He is now acting assistant principal of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

PPO WOODWIND QUARTET
A wind quartet, also sometimes known as a woodwind quartet, is a group of four wind players (most commonly flute, clarinet, french horn and bassoon). The term also applies to a composition for such a group. Unlike the string quartet with its homogeneous blend of color, the instruments in a wind quartet differ from each other considerably in technique, idiom, and timbre. Every member of the PPO Woodwind Quartet is a dedicated orchestra and chamber player. Each has been associated with the most prominent performing ensembles, venues and musical institution in the Philippines and has united in the PPO Woodwind Quartet out of passion for the repertoire and the joy of its performance. Some of its performances include CCP Lobby Concert, Music Seminar and Concert all over the Philippines, 2005 Hiroshima International Music Festival in Hiroshima, Japan, "Concert at the Park" and Paco Park Present's". The current members of PWQ are Rosemarie Poblete, flute; Ariel Sta.Ana, clarinet; Ernani Pascual, horn; and Jerry Samonte, bassoon.

Kohei NISHIKAWA, born in 1953, is an eminent Japanese flutist, with a long creative career opened to the world, the result of a double training in classical and traditional fields, a rarity in Japan. He is principal flutist at the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra at the start of his musical life, and then starts an important career as a traditional flutist, with the bamboo transverse flutes, to accompany the classical traditional dance Nihon-buyo^ and Kabuki. In parallel he orders new pieces to some of the Japanese and foreigner composers in order to open the repertoire of those flutes traditionally compartmentalized in their traditional role at the theater, which he makes recordings of with the CD label "live notes" under the title 《Flutist from the East, Kohei Nishikawa》. In order to promote his instruments and the Japanese music to a larger public, from 2003 he starts to teach his instruments in different universities in To^kyo^, publishes several books, is invited, performs and does master-classes abroad including in Canada, in Europe.

Irene found interest and love for music through her mother, exposing her to it at an early age. Recipient of top prices from various singing competitions, her talent, beauty and confidence led her to winning the title "Miss Music 2001", making her the official representative of the Conservatory of Music at the University -wide search for "Ideal Thomasian Personality". Attributed to her vocal versatility, she has recorded the USTS TV Awards Jingle in 2005.
For 6 years she serves as the section leader of the soprano section. A licensed teacher, Irene obtained a degree in Music Education major in Voice, and Bachelor of Music degree major in Voice Performance under Prof. Rachelle Gerodias. Currently pursuing Master of Arts in Music Major in Voice Performance at the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School.

Kazuhiro Takagi was born in Osaka, Japan and has studied music under Takayoshi Wanami, Yuko Mori, Eduard Wulfson and Eduard Schmieder.
Having started playing the violin at the age of six, he has ever won a number of awards including some grand prizes in a series of music competitions in Japan. After graduating from Kitano High School with the longest history and traditions in Osaka Prefecture, he left for France to study at Conservatoire National Superieur Musique de Lyon and graduate with the highest grades in 1994.
Kazuhiro Takagi studied music further at Sothern Methodist University in 1995 and Roosevelt University Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2000 via Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists organized by Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan.
The history of his major awards and honors includes winning a prize at Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels for 1997, the third prize at Geneva International Music Competition in 1998 (no first prize was awarded for the year) and the first prize as the first violinist of "eusia string quartet" at Fischoff National Music Competition in Indiana State, USA for 2001.
Kazuhiro Takagi has been very widely recognized and highly evaluated as an excellent artist in Japan as well, including his winning the National Arts Festival New Artist Award sponsored by Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Osaka Cultural Festival Grand Prize in 2005 and the Recorded Work Award, Audio Category at the 19th Music Pen Club Japan in 2007.
In recent years, he has been performing well beyond the boundaries of his original music career as a violinist of "A Hundred Birds," house music orchestra band, led by DJ YOKU and "tokyo.panda," a music unit with a hip-hop keyboardist, Kazutake Takeuchi, while making a new wave in the Japanese music arena. Kazuhiro Takagi also frequently performs at fashion and apparel show events such as Fukuoka Love & Collection and Banana Republic Show.
As an active soloist, he has ever played with a number of domestic and overseas orchestras including Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra and Wuerttembergische Philfarmonie Reutlingen in Germany.
Having served as a concert master of Civic Orchestra of Chicago conducted by Daniel Barenboim and a solo concertmaster of Wuerttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen in Germany, Kazuhiro Takagi has been offered to perform by a number of orchestras all over Japan.
For a chamber music domain, as well, based on his experience of performance at Nagaokakyo Chamber Ensemble in Kyoto conducted by Yuko Mori, who has been one of his music masters, he has been a leader of Lilis Chamber Orchestra.
In recent years, Kazuhiro Takagi has been invited for several times to judge at the Music Competition of Japan, which is supposed to be the very highest standard of classical music competition in Japan.
Currently Kazuhiro Takagi has been actively performing as a concertmaster of Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, a solo concertmaster of Yamagata Symphony Orchestra, a member of Nagaokakyo Chamber Ensemble in Kyoto, a member of Izumi Sinfonietta Osaka, a leader of Lilis Chamber Orchestra and a violinist of "A Hundred Birds" and "tokyo.panda."
http://www.kazuhirotakagi.com

Orchestra Nipponica was established in September 2002, as an orchestra to succeed to the aspirations of late Yasushi Akutagawa, who is not only one of the most famous composers in Japan, but who also has left outstanding achievements in the music culture in modern Japan through various music and social activities.
In addition to actively performing orchestral works of Japanese composers and introducing lost or long-forgotten works of both Japanese and foreign composers, another key activity of Orchestra Nipponica has been to promote international exchange at the grass roots level by widely interacting in various countries (mainly in Asia) and in various areas (not only through performances, but also through commissioning of new compositions).
The orchestra's inaugural concert held in February 2003 (series of 2 concerts at Kioi Hall in Tokyo) received a huge response, and the concerts' live CD recordings also gathered much public attention. Since then, during 10 years of activities, Orchestra Nipponica has established a track record of achievements, including making revival performances of approximately 90 musical works which had been either lost or long-forgotten after their first performance, performing 20 works where individual instrument musical scores were newly prepared, performing 7 newly commissioned composition works, making 9 CD recordings, as well as attending 2 international music festivals (in China and Vietnam).
Through its activities of making revival performances of long-lost or forgotten works or reprinted works, the orchestra has created opportunities to rediscover and reassess music pieces comprising the history of Japanese compositions, through its efforts of reproducing, editing, and producing long-lost full music scores and individual instrument music scores for orchestral performance.
The orchestra is also endeavoring to spread such works by reorganizing music scores to be used for future re-performance. Indeed, many of the works performed by Orchestra Nipponica have been re-performed later by either or both professional and amateur orchestras. Many of the works have also been recorded on CD by major labels including Naxos Japan.
The live CD recording of Orchestra Nipponica's concert held last autumn 2011 was introduced in music record columns of nationwide newspapers in Japan (Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun), as well as being introduced and receiving high commendation in prominent Japanese music magazines ("Ongaku no Tomo", "Record Geijutsu", "Mostly Classic").

ホームページ：http://www.nipponica.jp/