NEW NATIONAL THEATRE, TOKYONEW NATIONAL THEATRE, TOKYO
  • OPERA
    • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
      ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
    • NEW NATIONAL THEATRE CHORUS
      NEW NATIONAL THEATRE CHORUS
  • BALLET
    • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
      ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
    • THE NATIONAL BALLET OF JAPAN
      THE NATIONAL BALLET OF JAPAN
    • DANCERS & STAFF
      DANCERS & STAFF
  • DANCE
    • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
      ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
  • DRAMA
    • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
      ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
  • CALENDAR
  • NEWS
  • FACILITIES
    • OPERA PALACE
      OPERA PALACE
    • PLAY HOUSE
      PLAY HOUSE
    • THE PIT
      THE PIT
    • INFORMATION CENTRE
      INFORMATION CENTRE
    • STAGE SET & DESIGN CENTRE
      STAGE SET & DESIGN CENTRE
  • ABOUT US
    • PATRONAGE & SUPPORT
      PATRONAGE & SUPPORT
    • INTERNATIONAL TOURS
      INTERNATIONAL TOURS
    • NNT OPERA STUDIO
      NNT OPERA STUDIO
    • NNT BALLET SCHOOL
      NNT BALLET SCHOOL
    • NNT DRAMA STUDIO
      NNT DRAMA STUDIO
  • YOUR VISIT
    • TICKETS
      TICKETS
    • ACCESS
      ACCESS
  • OPERA
    • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
      ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
    • NEW NATIONAL THEATRE CHORUS
      NEW NATIONAL THEATRE CHORUS
  • BALLET
    • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
      ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
    • THE NATIONAL BALLET OF JAPAN
      THE NATIONAL BALLET OF JAPAN
    • DANCERS & STAFF
      DANCERS & STAFF
  • DANCE
    • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
      ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
  • DRAMA
    • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
      ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
  • CALENDAR
  • NEWS
  • FACILITIES
    • OPERA PALACE
      OPERA PALACE
    • PLAY HOUSE
      PLAY HOUSE
    • THE PIT
      THE PIT
    • INFORMATION CENTRE
      INFORMATION CENTRE
    • STAGE SET & DESIGN CENTRE
      STAGE SET & DESIGN CENTRE
  • ABOUT US
    • PATRONAGE & SUPPORT
      PATRONAGE & SUPPORT
    • INTERNATIONAL TOURS
      INTERNATIONAL TOURS
    • NNT OPERA STUDIO
      NNT OPERA STUDIO
    • NNT BALLET SCHOOL
      NNT BALLET SCHOOL
    • NNT DRAMA STUDIO
      NNT DRAMA STUDIO
  • YOUR VISIT
    • TICKETS
      TICKETS
    • ACCESS
      ACCESS
  • 日本語

Artistic Director

ONO Kazushi

ONO KazushiARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF OPERA

Message

It is my pleasure to introduce the New National Theatre, Tokyo under my direction from the 2018/2019 season. Our Theatre boasts a presence as one of Asia’s leading opera venues, and we have maintained our international influence through showcasing numerous world premieres and new operas. As Artistic Director, I look forward to developing our pursuits with even greater energy.

To achieve this, I aim to utilise my global network to invite the world’s best directors, conductors, stage designers, dancers, artists and singers to gather at our Theatre and inject our creations with vitality, transforming our Theatre into a space that will present us with much to consider as 21st century inhabitants. I would like to promote the use of cutting-edge Japanese visual technology to recreate traditional works, and work with other Asian countries to co-produce operas in a pan-Pacific alliance. I want to ensure that our world premieres are opportunities to send our message “from Tokyo to the world”.

I believe that the potential of opera as a means of expression is going to become increasingly meaningful in terms of global-scale human connections. And I am positive that the NNTT will play a significant role as we enter this era.

Biography

ONO Kazushi graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. He was formerly Music Director of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra (1990-1996) and General Music Director of Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe (1996-2002) before he succeeded Antonio Pappano as Music Director of Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels where he enjoyed six highly successful seasons (2002-2008).

He then served as Principal Conductor of Opéra National de Lyon (2008-2017), during which time he was also Principal Guest Conductor of Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini. He is currently Music Director for the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya.

He made his opera debut in 2007 at La Scala in Milan (“Macbeth”). Since then, he has made a number of appearances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York (“Der fliegende Hollaender”), the Opéra National de Paris (“Kol Roger”), the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich (“Der fliegende Hollaender” and “Haensel und Gretel”), the Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin (“Elektra”), the Glyndebourne Festival Opera (“L'heure espagnole”, “L'enfant et les sortileges” and “Haensel und Gretel”), and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (“Le Rossignol”).

In September 2016, he took up the role of Artistic Consultant for Opera at the New National Theatre Tokyo, and in September 2018 he assumed office as the theatre’s Artistic Director of Opera.

Awards
1987 Arturo Toscanini International Competition for Conductors
1989 Muramatsu Award
1993 Akio Watanabe Music Foundation Award
Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists by Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts
1997 Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award
Idemitsu Music Award
2006 Prix de la critique and European Grand Prize for Opera (Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie)
2007 Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts
2008 Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government
2009 Prix de la critique, Prix de Claude Rostand for “Le Joueur”, “Lulu”, “Mort à Venise” (l’Opéra National de Lyon)
Exxon Mobil Music Award
2010 The Imperial Prize, the Japan Arts Academy Prize
Suntory Music Award
2011 Prix de la critique, Prix de Claude Rostand for “Le Rossignol et autres fables” (l’Opéra National de Lyon)
2012 Grammy Award for “Diva Divo” (Joyce DiDonato with Orchestre de l'Opera National de Lyon)
2014 Gramophone’s Opera Award for “L’heure espagnole” and “L’enfant et les sortilèges” (Glyndebourne Festival)
2016 Asahi Prize for his contribution to Japanese society
2017 Prix de la critique, Prix de Claude Rostand, “L’ange de Feu” (l’Opéra National de Lyon) Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government
Special Medal by the City of Lyon

UPCOMING
PRODUCTIONS

VIEW ALL PRODUCTIONS

GALLERIES
BrochureBrochure Press ImagesPhoto Gallery
TICKETS & RESERVATIONS

Box Office:

+81-(0)3-5352-9999

10:00 - 18:00

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

THEATRES OF JAPAN ARTS COUNCIL
  • - National Theatre
  • - National Engei Hall
  • - National Noh Theatre
  • - National Bunraku Theatre
  • - National Theatre Okinawa
  • - Traditional Performing Arts Information Centre
  • FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
  • FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
  • CONTACT US
Privacy Policy & Website Policy
NEW NATIONAL THEATRE, TOKYO
2020/2021 SEASON SPECIAL CORPORATE SPONSORS
  • ONWARD
  • KAO
  • TBS
  • TOYOTA
  • PIA
  • HITACHI
Copyright © NEW NATIONAL THEATRE, TOKYO. All Rights Reserved.