堤剛 Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi

堤剛先生出生於東京，年幼時拜於大提琴家齋藤秀雄門下，並在年僅十二歲時就與東京愛樂樂團合作，首度登台演出聖桑大提琴協奏曲。1963年，當堤剛贏得了布達佩斯卡薩爾斯國際音樂比賽第一名，當時的媒體形容這是和 1930年代大衛．歐伊史特拉夫贏得布魯塞爾音樂比賽同等的大事件。隨後，堤剛先生頻繁與日本頂尖樂團的合作演出，並持續獲得多項音樂大獎，包含日本最權威的音樂獎項。

堤剛先生作為獨奏家，曾經合作演出過的樂團包含法國國家廣播電視交響樂團、柏林廣播交響樂團、鹿特丹愛樂管弦樂團、荷蘭室內樂團、慕尼黑愛樂樂團、倫敦交響樂團、倫敦愛樂管弦樂團、捷克愛樂交響樂團、利物浦皇家愛樂樂團，以及其他世界頂尖樂團。他最著名的演出包含與小澤征爾和桐朋學園大學管弦樂團在聯合國的演出、與NHK交響樂團在艾弗里·費雪音樂廳的 演出，以及和羅斯卓波維奇與美國國家交響樂團的演出。

堤剛先生曾在美國伊利諾大學擔任教職，並在1988年秋季起擔任印第安那大學音樂教授。他頻繁獲邀至世界各地舉行大師班，包含日本的音樂才能教育 協會（鈴木教學法）、加拿大奧福德藝術中心、法國里昂市立音樂院、加拿 大班夫藝術中心、北荷蘭音樂節等。此外，堤剛先生也曾獲邀至多個國際音樂比賽擔任評審，如費爾曼大提琴大賽、慕尼黑國際音樂大賽、羅斯楚波維奇國際音樂比賽、加拿大廣播公司音樂比賽、大阪國際室內樂比賽等。

2009年，他獲得了日本最高榮譽的紫綬褒章。並於同年十二月起成為日本藝術院成員。

堤剛先生與Sony和Meister Music合作發有多張專輯。為表揚他對日本音樂界的貢獻，堤剛先生曾獲日本三得利音樂獎以及日本天皇親頒文化獎章。他於1997年獲選為日本大提琴協會首任會長；2000年獲選為霧島國際音樂祭音樂總監以及三得利藝術基金會理事長。此外，他在1976年起擔任桐朋學園大學特聘教授，並長達九年擔任桐朋學園大學校長；在2007年9月就任東京三 得利音樂廳館長；2017年起擔任韓國藝術綜合學校客座教授。

When Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi won the International Casals Competition in Budapest in 1963, the press called him a musician “whose discovery is comparable to that of David Oistrakh in the Brussels Competition in the 1930s.” Born in Tokyo, Mr. Tsutsumi's early training with Hideo Saito led him to his debut at the young age of 12 with Tokyo Philharmonic, performing the Saint-Saens concerto. Appearances with Japan's leading orchestras followed, as did several major prizes, including the Japan's most prestigious; the Mainichi (Japan) Music Competition.

Audiences have since heard Mr. Tsutsumi's solo appearances with the ORTF in Paris, the Berlin Radio Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonia, the Czech and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and many others. He has appeared with many great conductors and orchestras such as, Seiji Ozawa and the Toho Gakuen Orchestra at the United Nations; at Avery Fisher Hall with the NHK Symphony; Mustislav Rostropovich and the National Symphony.

He taught the University of Illinois before joining the faculty of Indiana University as Professor of Music in the fall of 1988. He was frequently invited to conduct master classes at places like Talent Education Institute (Japan), Orford Arts Center (Canada), Lyon Conservatoire (France), Banff Centre (Canada) and Holland music session (The Netherlands). He has also been invited as a jury member of prestigious international music competitions such as the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, ARD in Munich, M. Rostropovich in Paris, CBC/SRC in Ottawa, Osaka International Chamber Music Competition l in Osaka.

In 2009, he was awarded Japan's Medal with Purple Ribbon, the highest honor in Japan. He is also a member of the Japan Art Academy since December 2009.

Mr. Tsutsumi has various CD releases with Sony and Meister Music. He is also known as a recipient of the Suntory Award for his contribution to music in Japan and was presented National Academy of Arts Prize in music by the Emperor. In 1997, he was elected the first President of Japan Cello Society, and in 2000 elected Music Director of Kirishima International Music Festival and Director General of Suntory Foundation for the ARTS.

He was also elected the President of Suntory Hall in September 2007 and he was the President of Toho Gakuen School of Music for nine years. Now he is also Specially appointed professor, Toho Gakuen School of Music (1976 -), and the visiting professorship at Korea National University of the Arts School of Music (2017-).

2022/23