Keitaro Harada

File:Keitaro Harada.jpg

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Keitaro Harada first studied music at St. Mary's International School. At age 17, Harada attended the Interlochen Arts Academy and Arts Camp where he had his first public performance as a conductor, sharing the podium with Frederick Fennell. During his senior year at Interlochen, Harada performed on National Public Radio program From The Top, with pianist Christopher O'Riley.{{cite news|first=Christopher |last=O'Riley |title=Show 091 Interlochen, Michigan |date=November 5, 2003 |publisher=National Public Radio |url=http://www.fromthetop.org/content/show-091-interlochen-michigan |work=NPR From The Top |accessdate=October 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103051726/http://www.fromthetop.org/content/show-091-interlochen-michigan |archivedate=November 3, 2011 }} Harada's recording along with his interviews can be found on High School Music Textbook Music! Its Role and Importance in Our Lives, Chapter 7: Making Musical Decisions, published by Glencoe McGraw-Hill.

Harada began undergraduate at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as a saxophone student of Debra Richtmeyer and double majoring in Music History. As a conductor, he was the Music Director of the Broadway Musical Production of Cabaret at the University.{{cite news | first = Christopher | last = O'Riley | title = Keitaro Harada: From Saxophone to Podium | date = July 26, 2010 | publisher = National Public Radio | url = https://www.npr.org/2010/07/26/128724953/keitaro-harada-from-saxophone-to-podium | work = NPR From The Top | accessdate = October 24, 2011}}

In the summers of 2004–2005, Harada attended Conducting Workshops in St. Petersburg, Russia where he studied with Sian Edwards, Adrian Gnam and Leonid Korchmar. After working with Adrian Gnam, Harada was appointed as Apprentice Conductor of Macon Symphony Orchestra in 2005. His title later changed to Assistant Conductor and he also became the Conductor of Mercer/Macon Symphony Youth Orchestra. Harada enrolled at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia to complete his Bachelor of Music Degree in Saxophone and Master of Music Degree in Conducting.

Upon completion of his Master of Music in May 2008, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, to study with Thomas Cockrell as an inaugural recipient of the Rogers Institute for Orchestral and Opera Conducting Fellowship at University of Arizona. The fellowship included conducting the University ensembles and working with Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Arizona Opera.{{cite news | first = Cathalena | last = Burch | title = Great expectations | date = June 5, 2009 | url = http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/music/article_8ea09608-4590-5452-93cc-2a955c0d62b0.html | work = Arizona Daily Star | accessdate = October 2, 2011}} In addition, Harada was conductor for the Arizona Repertory Theatre where he led Into The Woods and The Music Man.

In the summer of 2009, Harada was invited to the inaugural season of the Castleton Festival where he studied four Benjamin Britten operas at Lorin Maazel's estate. The following summer, James Levine and the members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra invited Harada as Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. Harada assisted Christoph von Dohnányi in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos{{cite news | first = Judith | last = Malaronte | title = Ariadne auf Naxos | date = October 1, 2010 | publisher = The Metropolitan Opera Guild | url = http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2010/10/Review/LENOX,_MA__Ariadne_auf_Naxos.html | work = Opera News | accessdate = October 10, 2010 | archive-date = November 5, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131105174529/http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2010/10/Review/LENOX,_MA__Ariadne_auf_Naxos.html | url-status = dead }} and conducted the closing performance.{{cite news | first = Eli | last = Newberger | title = Ariadne auf Bali Ha'i in Tanglewood Fellows' Marvelous Strauss Pacific | date = August 7, 2010 | url = http://classical-scene.com/2010/08/07/ariadne/ | work = The Boston Musical Intelligencer | accessdate = August 8, 2010}}

In May 2010, Harada was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Phoenix Youth Symphony.{{cite news | first = Cathalena | last = Burch | title = Youth Orchestra from Phoenix may be the best you've heard | date = December 1, 2011 | url = http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/youth-orchestra-from-phoenix-may-be-the-best-you-ve/article_c837d0e2-3ae9-5893-b1db-db042b21b1d7.html | work = Arizona Daily Star | accessdate = December 1, 2011}} In June, as one of the ten featured guest for From The Top's 10th Anniversary, Harada was invited back to the show to perform again with Christopher O'Riley.{{cite news | first = Christopher | last = O'Riley | title = Keitaro Harada: From Saxophone to Podium | date = July 26, 2010 | publisher = National Public Radio | url = https://www.npr.org/2010/07/26/128724953/keitaro-harada-from-saxophone-to-podium | work = NPR From The Top | accessdate = October 24, 2011}}

Harada completed his fellowship from the University of Arizona in December 2010 but has continued his work with the Arizona Opera as their Assistant Conductor. He is also the Principal Guest Conductor of the Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra in Arizona.{{cite news | first = Cathalena | last = Burch | title = Music notes UA students take center stage in Sierra Vista Symphony opener | date = October 22, 2010 | url = http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/music-notes-ua-students-take-center-stage-in-sierra-vista/article_5fcdbb0f-02fe-595b-9dbe-b4e402784454.html | work = Arizona Daily Star | accessdate = October 22, 2010}} He is the conductor of the Phoenix Youth Symphony and guest conducts at various places around the United States.

Harada made his operatic debut in May 2011 with the North Carolina Opera in a production of Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw.{{cite news|first=Roy |last=Dicks |title=N.C. Opera's 'Turn of the Screw' is a winner |date=May 13, 2011 |publisher=North Carolina |url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/05/13/1195302/nc-operas-turn-of-the-screw-is.html |work=News Observer |accessdate=January 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106123755/http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/05/13/1195302/nc-operas-turn-of-the-screw-is.html |archivedate=November 6, 2013 }} In 2011, Harada attended Pacific Music Festival as a student in the Conducting Academy where he studied with Fabio Luisi.

Harada is married to Yuri Kurashima, fashion designer and professional tennis player.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/23/fashion/weddings/yuri-kurashima-keitaro-harado-married.html|title=A Love Match, Orchestrated by the Moms|last=Mallozzi|first=Vincent M.|date=September 23, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 29, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

• 2009 Castleton Festival – Invitation by Lorin Maazel
• 2009 IV Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition – Semi-finalist
• 2010 NPR From The Top 10th Anniversary Guest
• 2010 Tanglewood Music Center – Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellow{{cite news | first = Larry | last = Murray | title = Tanglewood July 24–31: Mahler's Fourth, Brahms 2nd, Strauss | date = July 1, 2010 | url = http://berkshireonstage.com/2010/07/01/tanglewood-july-24-31-mahlers-fourth-brahms-2nd-strauss/ | work = Berkshire On Stage | accessdate = July 5, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100707071119/http://berkshireonstage.com/2010/07/01/tanglewood-july-24-31-mahlers-fourth-brahms-2nd-strauss/ | archive-date = July 7, 2010 | url-status = dead }}
• 2011 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Solti/Muti Competition – Semi-finalist
• 2011 Pacific Music Festival Conducting Academy – Invitation by Fabio Luisi
• 2013 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview by the League of American Orchestras.{{cite news | last = League of American Orchestras | title = 2013 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview | date = January 29, 2013 | publisher = League of American Orchestras | url = http://www.americanorchestras.org/conducting-artistic-programs/conducting/2013-bruno-walter-national-conductor-preview.html | access-date = January 31, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130123020305/http://www.americanorchestras.org/conducting-artistic-programs/conducting/2013-bruno-walter-national-conductor-preview.html | archive-date = January 23, 2013 | url-status = dead }}
• 2014 The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award{{Cite web |url=http://www.soltifoundation.us/awardees.php |title=Untitled Document |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416115816/http://www.soltifoundation.us/awardees.php |archive-date=April 16, 2014 |url-status=dead }}
• 2015 The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award{{Cite web|url=http://soltifoundation.us/the-solti-foundation-u-s-announces-an-unprecedented-10-awards-to-young-american-conductors|title=The Solti Foundation U.S. Announces an unprecedented 10 awards to young American conductors|access-date=July 2, 2015|archive-date=July 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705032704/http://soltifoundation.us/the-solti-foundation-u-s-announces-an-unprecedented-10-awards-to-young-american-conductors/|url-status=dead}}
• 2023 The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award - The Sir Georg Solti Fellowhttps://soltifoundation.us/the-solti-foundation-u-s-announces-the-fourteenth-recipient-of-the-sir-georg-solti-conducting-award/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427225839/https://soltifoundation.us/the-solti-foundation-u-s-announces-the-fourteenth-recipient-of-the-sir-georg-solti-conducting-award/ |date=April 27, 2023 }} {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}

Harada is a professional photographer featured on monthly magazine BIGAKU in Japan.{{Cite web|url=http://bigaku.asia/top.html|title=月刊美楽 ～最新3ヶ月の記事～}}

• {{Official website|http://kharada.com}}
• [https://www.arabella-arts.com/roster/keitaro-harada Keitaro Harada artist page at Arabella Arts]
• [https://www.japanarts.co.jp/artist/KeitaroHARADA?lang=2 Keitaro Harada artist page at Japan Arts]

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Category:1985 births

Category:Living people

Category:Japanese male conductors (music)

Category:Japanese classical musicians

Category:Musicians from Tokyo

Category:Tanglewood Music Center alumni

Category:21st-century Japanese conductors (music)