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Takeharu Nobuhara is Chief Executive Officer of Telemann Institute Japan, Music Director, Conductor and Oboist, and is a graduate of Osaka College of Music.
In 1963, Takeharu Nobuhara organised Telemann Institute Japan (= TIJ) and his achievement is highly appreciated for having firmly entrenched chamber music in the genre of western music in Japan. He has expanded under his direction fresh fields of activities not only in Japan but worldwide with his five music groups, namely, Telemann Chamber Orchestra, Telemann Chamber Choir, Collegium Musicum Telemann, Baroque Choir Telemann, and Symphonic Telemann. T. Nobuhara and his Telemann Chamber Orchestra, etc. have been invited by Federal Ministry of Culture, Germany, for four times to this date. In 1985, Telemann Chamber Orchestra and Telemann Chamber Choir led by him (70 musicians in total) performed at “The International Music Festival in Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of the Birth of Johann Sebastian Bach” as the only music institute from Japan, where 19 other music institutes from the rest of the world also participated. In February 1992, T. Nobuhara and Collegium Musicum Telemann (specialized in baroque music), along with the harpsichordist Shin-ichiro Nakano, made a concert tour to Germany, accepting invitation from a German agent. This marked a historical event for a Japanese music institute ever to receive a concert tour invitation from Europe. Moreover, it had another historical significance in that T. Nobuhara and his Collegium Musicum Telemann introduced baroque music played by original baroque instruments to German audience who had been unfamiliar with “performance in baroque instruments”. It would not be too much to say that they firmly initiated the European audience with “the baroque culture”, a great achievement, indeed. Thereafter, T. Nobuhara and his musicians have made a dozen or more concert tours abroad, including, Great Britain, France, USA and South Korea.
On the other hand, Takeharu Nobuhara has been quite active also as conductor. For example, in December 1984 he conducted Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (Bach) in 1985, the illustrious Thüringen Philharmonie, Gotha-Suhl, and in February 1989, then Leipziger Rundfunksendungorchester (current, MDR Sinfonieorchester), as guest conductor, all at invitation of Ministry of Culture of then (East) Germany. He has made numerous trips to Europe invited by various orchestras in Europe and in Japan as guest conductor. His detailed knowledge and profound comprehension of baroque music has earned him the nickname, “Nikolaus Harnoncourt of Japan”. He enjoys a high respect, reputation and support of many as “the specialist in the 18th century music.” He earned outstanding credits for conducting Century Orchestra Osaka in September 2001, and Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in April 2003.
Incidentally, Telemann Institute Japan of which Takeharu Nobuhara is the founding father celebrated its 45th Anniversary in 2008. He performed as oboist “The 5 Oboe Concerti (J.S. Bach, George Frideric Handel, T.G. Albinoni, And A. Marcello)” at TIJ’s “150th Regular Concert” held as part of the Commemorative Activity at the small hall of Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo on January 25, 2003. His performance of the oboe earned him the greatest applauds which still remain fresh in our mind. His first CD released on the same day as new album (all 5 titles of Oboe Concerti plus one from Bach) was a great sensation and was selected in the April Edition of “The Record Art” of the same year with a special commendation. His second CD “Wishing for the Star…” was released in September 2004.
Furthermore, in May 2003, Takeharu Nobuhara led Collegium Musicum Telemann and the harpsichordist Shin-ichiro Nakano, to perform at Bachfest Leipzig 2003 under the auspices of Bach-Archiv Leipzig as the only Japanese music institute to be invited together with such celebrated leading world musicians as Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman, Christophe Rousset, and Philippe Herreweghe. T. Nobuhara and his musicians also performed in Eisenach and Magdeburg. The enthusiastic response received from the local audience still vividly clings to the public minds. The gist of the event was televised in Japan on 6th July 2003 by NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation at its “Art Theatre”.
Besides presiding TIJ, and acting as music director, conductor, and oboist, Takeharu Nobuhara assumes important positions such as Commissioner, Kansai Branch of Japan Federation of Musicians, Councillor of Hyogo Performing Arts Association, and Music Director of Osaka Municipal Youth Orchestra.
Major Awards:
1977 Agency for Cultural Affairs Cultural Festival Excellent Performance Award
1983 Kobe City Cultural Encouragement Award
1984 The 4th Iue Cultural Award
1986 Suntory Music Award, the 17th
2000 Award for Person of Merit, Hyogo Prefecture
2002 Osaka Citizenship Award, the 37th
2004 Kobe City Cultural Prize
2009 Das Verdienstkreuz am Bande (Fedederal Cross of Merit) by the Federal Republic of Germany (Please visit Telemann Institute Japan for more details)
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