Hidemaro Konoye

Hidemaro Konoye studied at University of Tokyo. Training under Gustav Kron, Kōsaku Yamada and Erich Kleiber is recorded. The recorded working language is Japanese. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are classical music. Positions recorded include member of the House of Peers. Distinctions recorded are Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd class.

• Name — Hidemaro Konoye • Birth Name — Hidemaro Konoye • Native Name — 近衞 秀麿 • Education — Tokyo Imperial University, Faculty of Arts dropout • Born — 18 November 1898 • Birthplace — Kojimachi-ku, Tokyo, Empire of Japan • Died — 2 June 1973 • Place of death — Noge, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan • Occupation — Conductor, composer, music arranger • Years Active — 1920–1973 • Father — Konoe Atsumaro • Mother — Maeda Sadako • Relatives — Tadamaro Miyagawa (brother) Naomaro Konoye (brother) Fumimaro Konoe (brother) • Children — Hidetake Konoe Tadatoshi Miyagawa

Konoye was born in Kōjimachi, Tokyo. He was the younger son of Duke Konoe Atsumaro, scion of one of the Five Regent Houses of the Fujiwara clan. The Konoe clan traditionally provided gagaku musicians to the Imperial Household. Despite this, Konoye pursued music over the objections of his family, who wished for him a career in politics. His decision was supported by his older brother, Fumimaro. Konoye attended the Gakushuin Peers School, where he became close friends with Takashi Inukai. Around this time, Konoye frequently visited the Tokyo Music School and was privately educated by Kosaku Yamada. After graduating from Gakushuin, he matriculated at Tokyo Imperial University to study literature, but lost interest and eventually withdrew. At the age of 25, he decided to go to Europe to study music. He studied in Paris under Vincent d'Indy and Berlin under Franz Schreker. He also studied conducting under Erich Kleiber, and Karl Muck. In 1924, he conducted at the Berlin Philharmonic. After spending a year a half, he returned to Japan in September 1924, bringing orchestra scores and other music materials he bought in Europe carried by three ships. Konoye co-founded the Japan Symphonic Association in 1925, and the following year became conductor of the orchestra. Konoe later founded the New Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo (the present day NHK Symphony Orchestra), and helped mold the orchestra over a 10-year period into an ensemble that was praised as competitive with many of the better orchestras in Europe. Today he is remembered for making the première recording of Mahler's Fourth Symphony, done in May 1930. It was also, aside from a cut in the third movement, the first electrical recording of any complete Mahler symphony. • Illustration — Hidemaro Konoye (1960) Additionally, Konoye made numerous guest appearances in Europe and America, conducting some 90 different orchestras in the course of his career including the orchestra of La Scala, Milan and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. He created friendships with Erich Kleiber, Leopold Stokowski, Wilhelm Furtwängler and Richard Strauss. He went to Germany and conducted Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in the second half of the 1930s. In the early days of the NBC Symphony, he planned an American tour under the supervision of Stokowski, but the project was cancelled due to World War II. In 1964, he performed Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with Benny Goodman.

Konoye conducted many notable Japanese premieres including: • Richard Strauss: Serenade for Winds (1926) • Paul Hindemith: Overture to Neues vom Tage (1927) • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds (1927) • Kurt Weill: Kleine Dreigroschenmusik (1929) • Maurice Ravel: Ma mère l'Oye (1929) • Richard Strauss: Oboe Concerto (with Otto Winter; 1962) • Darius Milhaud: Oboe Concerto (with Heinz Holliger; 1970)

Konoye wrote original compositions, but was more deeply interested in arranging existing music, including, for example, Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Schubert's String Quintet, which he orchestrated.

• Kronungs-Kantate for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1928) • Etenraku for orchestra (1931; arrangement of the gagaku piece of the same title) • Kimigayo (national anthem of Japan) for orchestra • Chin Chin Chidori for voice and piano

The authorities additionally record the heading Hidemaro Konoe. His recorded language was Japanese. He was the child of Konoe Atsumaro. He married Ranko Sawa. 3 children are recorded: Hidetake Konoe, Tadatoshi Miyagawa and Hidetoshi Konoe.

Hidemaro Konoye is recorded as composer, conductor, music arranger, politician and musician. Formation and teaching. Konoye studied at University of Tokyo. He trained under Gustav Kron, Kōsaku Yamada, Erich Kleiber and Vincent d'Indy.