Kazushi Ono is the definitive musical citizen of the world, having been born in Tokyo, studied in Munich and forged his early career in Zagreb, Karlsruhe and Tokyo. This variety of influences has shaped an inquiring and profound musical intellect and an ability to communicate meaning across languages and cultures, leading to longstanding relationships around the world.
Ono trained in Europe under Wolfgang Sawallisch and came to public attention winning first prize in the 1987 Toscanini Competition. Since his first appointment at Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in 1992 he has held continuous positions, including at Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Karlsruhe Opera, La Monnaie, Opéra National de Lyon, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and currently, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, New National Theatre Tokyo and Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra.
A favourite of orchestral players, he has lasting friendships with orchestras around the world and regularly guest conducts groups such as London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
His passion and curiosity for repertoire takes him in different directions – to the standard classics but also to new music. He often commissions works and has collaborated several times with Mark-Anthony Turnage, including on Silent Cities, Hibiki (which won a Royal Philharmonic Society award) and Time Flies, which was originally commissioned for the 2020 Tokyo Olympiad. Recent commissions at NNTT include Asters by Akira Nishimura and Dai Fujikura’s A Dream of Armageddon. His programming there also includes Baroque, 20th-century and bel canto masterpieces.
In Europe he conducted the world premieres of Toshio Hosokawa’s Hanjyo in Aix-en-Provence, Arnulf Hermann’s Der Mieter at Oper Frankfurt and Kaija Saariaho’s Emilie at Opéra de Lyon, as well as new productions of Ravel’s L’heure espagnole and L’Enfant et les sortilèges at Glyndebourne and Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher at Opéra de Lyon. He has worked closely with boundary-breaking directors such as Dmitri Tcherniakov, Romeo Castellucci, Pierre Audi, William Kentridge and Mariusz Treliński
Ono is a vocal advocate for the role of culture in all our lives. During his time in Lyon he took part in a programme bringing opera to prisons and at TMSO he leads the inclusive SaLaD Music Festival, as well as working with community organisations for people with disabilities. In his new role in Brussels he will be part of an integration scheme for refugees. During the initial stages of the pandemic, he led ground-breaking research into the transmission of particles and the use of ventilation that meant that orchestras could get back to playing for audiences safely.
In 2017 he was awarded ‘Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ by French cultural minister Françoise Nyssen, adding to the prestigious Asahi Prize in January 2015, for his contribution to the development and progress of Japanese society.
https://www.kazushiono.com/

Shimizu graduated from Kunitachi College of Music where she also gained her master’s degree and trained at Tokyo’s New National Theatre Opera Studio. She furthered her studies in Italy under the Agency for Cultural Affairs Overseas Study Program. She has appeared in Die Fledermaus at the Stadttheater in Baden, as well as in numerous productions for New National Theatre Tokyo, Nissay Opera and Hyogo Performing Arts Center. In 2018, she sung Ortrud in Lohengrin for Tokyo Nikikai and in Amneris in Aida in Sapporo, Kanagawa and Hyogo, where she received high acclaim. She is a member of Nikikai.

Topi Lehtipuu enjoys a reputation as one of Finland’s most highly individual artists. In addition to a career as a tenor of international renown, Topi also enjoys a career as artistic consultant and curator. He was Director of the Helsinki Festival from 2015 to 2018 and artistic director of Turku Music Festival from 2010 to 2015, as well as of Joroinen Music Days, a chamber music festival in eastern Finland.
As a singer, Topi has appeared in concert halls and opera houses throughout the world. An extremely versatile artist and a highly-skilled stage performer, he is renowned equally for repertoire ranging from early music, through Bach, Mozart and classical composers, to contemporary creations enjoying close relationships with the world's leading conductors and directors.
Recent highlights include the creation of the role of The Creature in Frankenstein, a new opera by Mark Gray commissioned by La Monnaie/De Munt, and participation in a new multi-disciplinary dance/vocal project featuring the music of Monteverdi - Third Practice - with renowned dance group Tero Saarinen Company. Further recent highlights include performances as The Witch in Hänsel & Gretel with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davies, and a return to the Salzburg MozartWoche.

The Little Singers of Tokyo (LSOT) formed in 1951 with the concept “for Japanese children to sing Renaissance works”. The founding spirit continues today with a repertoire focusing on authentic choral works based on traditional European music. LSOT covers a wide range of music from Gregorian Chants to contemporary works. In addition to the regular concerts held twice a year, LSOT has made 33 overseas concert tours. They have also appeared with many orchestras and opera theaters at home and abroad, and have performed with maestros such as Abbado, Luisi, and Muti.

New National Theatre, Tokyo, opened in October 1997 as the only national theatre for the modern performing arts of Opera, Ballet, Contemporary Dance and Play. Meanwhile, New National Theatre Chorus started its career and has played a central role in many Opera performances all through the seasons. Their ensemble ability and rich voices have achieved acclaim from co-starred singers, conductors, directors, stage staffs as well as domestic and foreign media.