Morihiko Nakahara
1975 -
Morihiko Nakahara currently serves as Associate Conductor of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra and director of the orchestra at Eastern Washington University. He previously served as Director of Orchestral Studies at Andrews University. Acclaimed as "a splendid conductor," "a consummate professional and an artist of a very high caliber, " and one who is "thorough in his preparation, imaginative in his musicianship and crystal clear in his ability to communicate with the orchestra," he has been at Spokane since 2003.
Nakahara also conducts the Symphony Orchestra in Holland, Michigan. His "charisma on and off the podium, innovative and audience-friendly programming skills, and thoughtful interpretations of both standard and new repertoire" led to his first season as conductor of that orchestra being regarded as a notable success, one "marked by dramatic artistic achievements, increased audience size and donations, and a heightened visibility of the orchestra in the community."
A reviewer wrote of one performance, "the music soared and every note was delivered in perfect precision. The level of concentration among performers was intense and it was obvious the conductor insisted on their full attention. Nakahara's hands spoke to the musicians, demanding not only that they focus, but that they give their full attention to balance, clarity, and emotion."
In July 2002, Nakahara was among four outstanding young conductors invited to participate in the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's Composition and Conducting Institute under the guidance of Lawrence Leighton Smith. In a review of his debut with this Grammy-Award winning orchestra, The Star-Ledger of Newark noted that Mr. Nakahara "conducted a fluid and elegant version of Smetana's Die Moldau with a firm sense of the flow of both tempo and texture." In addition, Mr. Nakahara was the sole recipient of the David Effron Conducting Fellowship at the Chautaugua Music Festival in New York State in 1999, where he studied with Timothy Muffitt.
An advocate of new music, Mr. Nakahara has collaborated with and has garnered praise from noted contemporary composers Steve Reich, Michael Torke, Augusta Read Thomas, Azio Corghi, Menachem Zur, and Yasuhide Ito. Through his association with Music99, Music2000, Music2001, and Music02, contemporary music festivals in Cincinnati, Ohio, he has collaborated with several emerging young composers and has conducted numerous world and U.S. premiere performances.
A native of Japan, Mr. Nakahara received a B.Mus. in music education with distinction from AU in1998. He subsequently completed an M.Mus. in instrumental conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he studied with Rodney Winther. He has done additional conducting studies with Larry Rachleff, Mark Gibson, Jerry Junkin, and Alan Mitchell.
2003