HIROFUMI YOSHIDA: to seek the truth in every note and to serve music
Hirofumi Yoshida / operahouse.od.ua
SHORT PROFILE
Name: Hirofumi Yoshida
Date of Birth: 1968
Place of Birth: Funabashi, Japan
Profession: conductor
Yoshida Hirofumi — a maestro of precise gesture and sensitive ear, a conductor. A world-renowned Japanese musician, equally at home in both opera and symphonic music.
For more than twenty years, he has been working in Europe, conducting in leading Italian theaters, including those in Rome, Genoa, and Bologna, as well as at the famous Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. Today, he heads the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Luciano Pavarotti Opera House «Comunale» in Modena (Italy) and is the Principal Guest Conductor of the National Opera and Ballet Theater of Odesa.
The maestro is also known as a teacher and mentor, for whom passing on experience is no less an art than performing on stage. He actively supports young artists and is now a member of the jury of the First International Opera Singers Competition in Odesa, Recitar Cantando.
Svitlana Pavlyanchyna: What shaped your musical ear and conducting intuition? People, places, coincidences?
Hirofumi Yoshida: One of the defining moments was my early immersion in opera — specifically in Italy, where it resounds not only from the stage but in the everyday intonation of the streets. There, opera is not just an art form, but a way of life. Working with great maestros and the traditions of the theaters of Bologna, Modena, and Rome taught me not only technique but also reverence for this art form. Japan gave me discipline, Europe gave me freedom of expression. I think I still conduct somewhere at the intersection of these two energies.
S. P.: Do you remember that first, internally clear moment when music ceased to be just an occupation and became your calling?
H. Y.: Yes, I was still a student when I first stepped onto the conductor’s podium during a rehearsal. That moment — the creation of sound through a single gesture — revealed to me that this was not just work. It was my path, my voice, my way of interacting with the world.
S. P.: What kind of inner discipline does the path of an opera conductor require from you, especially when working with large ensembles and emotionally rich scores?
H. Y.: A conductor must carry within themselves a vast emotional world while remaining calm, composed, and precise. Opera is the synthesis of voices, orchestra, scenography, stage rhythm, and the breath of the audience. One must respect the space and individuality of each performer, while at the same time bearing responsibility for the integrity of the musical concept. This requires humility, sensitivity, and complete dedication.
S. P.: Where, in your opinion, lies the fine line between technical perfection and emotional truth in music? When does sound become not only form, but also confession?
H. Y.: Technique is the foundation, the language that allows us to speak clearly and precisely. But emotional truth is the reason we speak at all. A performance may be flawless, but if it does not move the listener, it remains empty. Conversely, excessive emotion without form falls apart. My role is to find that balance: to build an architecture in which feeling can breathe freely.
S. P.: Which mistakes have been your strictest yet wisest teachers — in music and in life?
H. Y.: Mistakes taught me to listen. I realized that beyond talent and knowledge, the most important thing is self-awareness: the ability to hear oneself, to know the limits of one’s instrument — whether it is the voice, the body, or the psyche. Flexibility, curiosity, and the ability to remain open — these are what allow growth. And above all — patience. The stage does not forgive haste, but it always rewards those who grow with dignity.
S. P.: What is primary for you in a voice technique, interpretation, or timbre? What speaks first — the mind, the feeling, or the soul?
H. Y.: All three aspects are undoubtedly important. But timbre always touches me first. It is like a fingerprint of the soul — a sound in which one hears not only the voice, but the person. Technique can be mastered, interpretation can be constructed, but timbre is something deeply personal, almost spiritual. A voice with an honest timbre carries a truth that cannot be imitated.
S. P.: How important is restraint in emotions for a singer on stage? Should feeling not be a cry, but a breath?
H. Y.: Exactly. Restraint is absolutely essential. Emotions without form easily turn into chaos and begin to sound false. True mastery lies in balance: channeling feeling through inner control, giving it clarity and shape. When a singer expresses emotion with restraint, it becomes only stronger. The most moving moments in opera are, as a rule, the quietest ones.
S. P.: Can a school be genuine if it lacks an inner culture — that invisible fabric connecting knowledge and meaning?
H. Y.: I don’t think so. A true school is not only a place where skills are passed on, but also an environment where values, curiosity, the ability to ask questions, and to see connections are formed. Without inner culture — connection to history, philosophy, poetry, the soul of art — one can teach only superficiality, not depth. True education must awaken a taste for the world and the ability to think independently. Depth cannot be taught if it has not been lived by the teacher and conveyed as part of personal experience.
S. P.: You are not only a conductor but also a teacher. What do young performers most often face at the beginning of their path, and how do you help them through these trials?
H. Y.: One of the main difficulties is lack of self-confidence. In a world where a thousand voices resound and everyone can be easily compared with another, it can be hard for a young artist to hear their own, unique voice. I try to create a space where they can experiment, make mistakes, find their own tempo and rhythm. I listen attentively — not only to the sound but also to the silence behind it. Because often everything begins not with technical perfection, but with a quiet faith in one’s own voice — and it is this faith that becomes the point of true transformation.
S. P.: What qualities do you consider essential for a young singer to find their place on stage?
H. Y.: Beyond talent, presence is essential — the ability to be here and now — along with self-awareness and humility. An artist must know their instrument: not only the voice, but also the body, the breath, the mind. The ability to listen is no less important than the ability to sing. To remain curious and patient. A career in music is a marathon, not a sprint. Those who grow sincerely will find their place.
S. P.: What in a voice can strike you instantly — with the very first note, the very first breath?
H. Y.: A voice that moves me right away always carries something beyond flawless technique. It contains life — the living fabric of breath, the honesty of timbre, and even that slight imperfection which reveals the human within. Sometimes it is like a sudden light in the darkness: one phrase — and you are already inside the world of that voice, unable to leave.
S. P.: At the First International Opera Singers Competition in Odesa Recitar Cantando, you will hear dozens of young voices. Which criteria become decisive for you when it comes to choosing a truly special performer?
H. Y.: I always ask myself one question: is this artist capable of telling a story? Not just singing the notes, but inviting us into their world, making us feel, remember, and want to return there again. Technique — at a certain level — is already a given. The real value lies in the ability to be authentic, to live through every note as part of one’s own destiny.
S. P.: In your view, what kind of support can an opera singers’ competition in Odesa offer to young performers?
H. Y.: A competition is both a mirror and a meeting place. Even without an award, the experience itself can be transformative. What matters here is not only how you are heard, but also whom you encounter: mentors, colleagues, friends. Honest feedback, attention — all of this can change the trajectory of a young artist’s life.
S. P.: You have served on the jury of many international projects. What immediately distinguishes the Recitar Cantando competition from others?
H. Y.: The cultural depth of Odesa, its history, and the courage to create music here and now — all of this makes the competition more than just a contest. Here, the stage becomes a space of meaning, not only of sound. In every voice I hear in Odesa, there is both a prayer, a purpose, and a special intonation.
S. P.: Why are international vocal competitions so important today for culture and intercultural dialogue?
H. Y.: Art transcends borders, and singing is one of the most intimate forms of communication. International competitions bring together young people from different worlds who suddenly find themselves on the same stage, sharing the same breath, the same chord. This is how genuine dialogue begins — only through music, in which we recognize one another.
S. P.: How would you describe the Ukrainian vocal school? Does it have distinctive features?
H. Y.: The Ukrainian vocal tradition combines Slavic passion with lyrical depth. It embodies both technical precision and a special emotional directness: the voice often addresses the soul first, and only then captivates the ear.
S. P.: Do you have inner guides — philosophical, spiritual, or aesthetic — that lead you in life and in music?
H. Y.: I believe that music is a mirror of the human condition: it reflects beauty, contradictions, fears, and aspirations. My guiding principle is to seek the truth in every note and to serve the music, not my own ego. In this service, I find both meaning and freedom.
S. P.: What inspires you outside of music? What awakens your sensitivity and helps you see the world differently?
H. Y.: Nature, architecture, literature, and travel. Being in an unfamiliar place, hearing new languages, feeling the rhythm of another city — all of this sharpens my perception and reveals new dimensions. Inspiration often comes precisely in silence — in the pauses between sounds and impressions.
S. P.: What is the main message you would like to leave for young artists?
H. Y.: Do not try to imitate other voices or paths. Trust your own voice, your inner compass — even when the road seems difficult and confusing. To be authentic is a challenge, but authenticity is what stays with us forever. The world is not waiting for perfection — it is waiting for the genuine. Be that.
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