Hirohisa Tsuji (tenor) studied at the National Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, where he gained BA and MA in singing. He also studied Lieder in Vienna. In 1992 he was awarded a scholarship by Rohm Music Foundation to study at the Royal Academy of Music where he graduated with honorable diploma, with Kenneth Bowen, Iain Ledingham, Robert Spencer and Paul Esswood. He also studied with Yvonne Minton, Graziella Sciutti and Geoffrey Parsons.
While he was in London, he made numerous concert appearances including Acis in Acis and Galatea, Xerxes in Xerxes, Jupiter in Handel’s Semele, Count Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. He also sang tenor solo in Mozart Requiem, Bach Cantatas and Evangelist in Christmas Oratorio, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, and Messiah throughout UK, including at the Royal Festival Hall with patronage of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1994 and 1995, praised by Opera Magazine, Evening Standard among many others.
He has also gave many recitals to introduce British Songs in Japan. His series of recitals entitled “An Evening with British Songs” have been highly acclaimed. His second CD “Songs of Benjamin Britten (FMC-5045)” was awarded “the best recommended disc” in the CD review magazine in October 2005, and “Songs of Ralph Vaughan Wiilams”(ALCD7125) was highly commended by Asahi Newspaper, Mainichi Newspaper, Ongaku Gendai, and alos awarded the best recommended disc by Record Geijutsu, in 2008. Hirohisa has given many world premieres including Sir Harrison Birtwistle’s The Sadness of Komachi for tenor and prepared piano, which was written for him in 2000.
His performances have been broadcasted on BBC Radio 3, NHK-FM, NHK TV and many other local media. Hirohisa won the Great Elm Vocal Award (UK), the third prize and the best Oratorio-Lied Singer Prize in the 32nd Francesco Vinas International Singing Competition in Barcelona. In 1997 he was a finalist in the 21st New York Oratorio Competition. Hirohisa is now teaching at National Shiga University in Japan and keeping his busy career as an oratorio soloist, recitalist, choir conductor as well as a co-founder and choir director of Handel Festival Japan.
Akane Nakanishi (Tsuji) (composer/pianist) studied at the National Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music. After five years of working experience as a composer, arranger, choir director, teacher and pianist, she moved to London where she finished her MMus in composition at Goldsmith’s College, and PhD in composition at King’s College, London under Sir Harrison Birtwistle. She also studied vocal accompaniment with Geoffrey Parsons, Iain Ledingham in London and Hartmut Hӧll in Salzburg.
She has won composition prizes including the Franz Schubert International Composition Competition, the 66th Japan Music Competition (first prize and Yasuda Prize), Suita Music Prize among others. Her pieces have been performed in Japan, UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Austria, Germany and USA as well as broadcasted on the BBC, NHK, KTV, HTV and can also be heard on CD recordings.
Since 2000, she has been teaching at Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University. She was also chosen for the Japanese government research- abroad scheme for artist for 2005-2006.
