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Yusuke Watanabe (Bass, Conductor) |
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Born: Yamagata, Yamagata, Japan |
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The Japanese bass and conductor, Yusuke Watanabe, studied at Yamagata North High School (Class of 1997); Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (Class of 2002); and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Graduate School (Class of 2005). He studied there singing under Michio Tatara. During this period he sang in the Bach Cantata Club under the guidance and supervision of its founder Michio Kobayashi, and performed a large number of bass solos in Passions and church cantatas of J.S. Bach. In particular, his the dramatic expression as Jesus in both St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) and St John Passion (BWV 245), was well received. After Michio Kobayashi retired voluntarily from the direction of the Bach Cantata Club in March 2005, Yusuke Watanabe directed the ensemble from April 2005 to March 2008. On the other hand, he has also studied with global vocalists in early music, such as Peter Kooy, Gerd Türk, Robin Blaze and his colleagues. He then moved to the Netherlands, where he studied from 2008 to 2010 at the The Hague Royal Academy of Music with Peter Kooy, Michael Chance, Jill Feldman, and later with Rita Dams. In the Netherlands he also studied with the Dutch mezzo-soprano Marion van den Acker and the Dutch lyric tenor Marcel Reijans.
Yusuke Watanabe is active mainly in the field of sacred musics as a soloist, including J.S. Bach's church cantatas and Passions, George Frideric Handel's Messiah, and W.A. Mozart's Coronation Mass and Requiem. From April 2002, he became a member of the Bach Collegium Japan under Masaaki Suzuki, as a vocal ensemble member and soloist, and participated in national and international tours and many recordings. In particular, he sang the bass solos in the performance of the oratorio Egypt of Israeli by G.F. Handell that took place in November 2007, his relaxed singing voice has been well received.
With the aim of its ideal performance of the 17th century English composer John Dowland,, deeply committed to lute songs, Yusuke Watanabe formed the Seven Tears Consort with the counter-tenor Kiyohito Uesugi and the lutenist Akiko Sato; the opening concerts in Tokyo and Yamagata were well received. In 2006 he and the tenor Satoshi Mizukoshi formed the Early Music Ensemble "Logos Apokarupushisu ". In November of the same year they performed J.S. Bach's St John Passion (BWV 245), followed in December 2007 by the cantata Our Jesus of limbs by Dietrich Buxtehude, and in 2009 in staged without director Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel's Brockes-Passion (Japan premiere). All the performances were very successful.
Currently Yusuke Watanabe is Chief Conductor of Tokyo Musik Kreis, Music Director of Mayora-Kanamusu Tokyo (Majora Canamus Tokyo), President of Early Music Ensemble "Logos Apokarupushisu", and singer member in Bach Collegium Japan (Director: Masaaki Suzuki), Gamut Bach Ensemble and Ueno Baroque Soloists. Since April 2014, he is also part-time lecturer at at Tohoku Gakuin University. He lives in Chofu, Tokyo. |
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Source: Yusuke Watanabe profile on Facebook; Affetti mvsicali Website & Majora Canamus Tokyo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2015)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2015) |
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Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works |
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Conductor |
As |
Works |
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Masaaki Suzuki |
Bass |
[V-13] (2019): BWV 244 [2nd recording; Peter, Chief Priest II]
[V-14] (2020): BWV 245 [4th recording, Pilatus] |
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Masaaki Suzuki |
Bass |
Member of Bach Collegium Japan:
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 22: BWV 7, BWV 20, BWV 94
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 24: BWV 8, BWV 33, BWV 113
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 25: BWV 78, BWV 99, BWV 114
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 26: BWV 96, BWV 122, BWV 180
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 27: BWV 5, BWV 80, BWV 115
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 28: BWV 26, BWV 62, BWV 116, BWV 139
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 29: BWV 2, BWV 3, BWV 38, BWV 135
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 31: BWV 91, BWV 101, BWV 121, BWV 133
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 32: BWV 111, BWV 123, BWV 124, BWV 125
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 33: BWV 41, BWV 92, BWV 130
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 34: BWV 1, BWV 126, BWV 127
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 35: BWV 74, BWV 87, BWV 128, BWV 176
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 39: BWV 28, BWV 68, BWV 85, BWV 175, BWV 183
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 40: BWV 79, BWV 137, BWV 164, BWV 168
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 42: BWV 13, BWV 16, BWV 32, BWV 72
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 43: BWV 110, BWV 57, BWV 151
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 44: BWV 43, BWV 88, BWV 146
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 45: BWV 39, BWV 129, BWV 187
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 48: BWV 34, BWV 98, BWV 117, BWV 120
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 51: BWV 195, BWV 192, BWV 157, BWV 120a
Sacred Cantatas Vol. 55: BWV 30, BWV 69, BWV 191
Secular Cantatas Vol. 3: BWV 36c
Secular Cantatas Vol. 4: BWV 205, BWV 207
Secular Cantatas Vol. 5: BWV 213, BWV 214
Secular Cantatas Vol. 6: BWV 198
Secular Cantatas Vol. 8 (2016): BWV 215
Secular Cantatas Vol. 9 (2016): BWV 201, BWV 207a
Secular Cantatas Vol. 10 (2017): BWV 30a
V-9 (2004): BWV 249, BWV 11
Lutheran Masses Vol. 1 (2013/2014): BWV 235, BWV 236, BWV 240, BWV 241, F. Durante-J.S. Bach: BWV Anh 26, BWV 242, BWV 238, BWV 237
Lutheran Masses Vol. 2 (2014/2015): BWV 234, BWV 233, M.G. Peranda: Missa in A minor
[V-13] (2019): BWV 244 [2nd recording]
[V-14] (2020): BWV 245 [4th recording] |
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Links to other Sites |
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Yusuke Watanabe on Facebook
Affetti mvsicali: Guest Musicians [Japanese]
Majora Canamus Tokyo: Profile [Japanese] |
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