About Us
The Horiuchi Foundation recognises talent in opera and art, providing life-changing opportunities for musicians and artists by promoting their talents to internationally reputable academies, competitions, residencies and awards.
The Foundation organizes and sponsors masterclasses, seminars and exhibitions around the world. We provide financial support as well as career advice to talented young musicians and artists. We also give practical and personal support for students who are not familiar with the differences between Eastern and Western culture.
History
Hiroko and her husband, Noriyoshi have been supporting young opera singers and artists for over twenty years. This stemmed from the couple’s passion for Opera.
They have organized private concerts and masterclasses and have also collaborated with numerous institutions throughout the world.
Having undertaken these activities privately for 20 years, in 2012 it was decided to establish the Horiuchi Foundation in order for these activities to be continued on a more formal basis, and to establish a lasting legacy
Music
The Horiuchis were one of the supporters for Arena di Verona’s Video Production of Verdi’s Macbeth and for Zeffereri’s new stage production of Aida in 2002.
They became involved in the preliminary auditions for the International Singing Competition held in Kyoto, Tokyo and Shanghai, where they met Mme. Zhou Xiaoyan who died in March 2016. Mme. Zhou was an inspiration for their ambition to support talented young singers. The Horiuchis have met many talented young Chinese opera singers at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s Shanghai Zhou Xiaoyan Opera Centre, where Mme. Zhou was the director. Many of these singers have subsequently became influential artists.
The Horiuchis have supported the International Singing Competition since 1997 and they also sponsored the final performances held at the Teatro Filarmonico and at the Hungarian State Opera House, Budapest. The winners of the competition included the artists such as:
Tatsuya Higuchi, La bohème, 1997
Yang Shen, L’Orfeo, 2006/07
Satomi Ogawa, Turandot, 2008/09
Since 2000, the Horiuchis have organized and sponsored masterclasses and concerts in Japan, China, Korea, USA, and Europe, giving young artists the opportunity to work for major international opera houses. These have included:
Masterclass in Shanghai by IVAI (International Master Class Institute /Joan Dornemann) in collaboration with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s Shanghai Zhou Xiaoyan Opera Centre in summer 2000.
Nagano Opera masterclasses with IVAI in 2001, 2002 and 2003, which were hugely successful and were attended by many talented singers between the ages of 18 to 32 years old. After each Masterclass, Opera Gala Concerts were hosted by the Nagano Opera Masterclass executive Committee.
Gala Concerts at the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, New York City, and also in Shanghai and Tokyo by participants in the IVAI masterclasses.
In March 2001, the Horiuchis sponsored the Third Annual Celebration of Asian Voices in CAMI Hall, New York City.
A collaboration with Ioan Holender of Wiener Staatsoper and Herbert von Karajan Centrum in April 2001 saw the production of Der 35. Mai, an opera for children.
In Summer 2001, they supported ten singers from Japan, China and South Korea for their trip to an IVAI masterclass in Casalmaggiore, Italy.
In March 2011 the Tohoku area of Japan was struck by a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. In May 2012, the Horiuchis organised charity opera concerts in five cities in Japan to help the people suffering from this devastating event.
In October 2012 the Horiuchis organized the Japan-China Opera Gala, celebrating the 95th birthday of Mme. Zhou Xiaoyan in the main theatre of Biwako Hall Center of the Performing Arts, Shiga, Japan. This event coincided with the 40th year of normalisation in diplomatic relations between China and Japan.
In January 2013, the Horiuchis organized opera concerts by Asian singers in Kasteel van ‘s-Gravenwezel in Antwerp, in partnership with Axel and May Vervoordt as part of the ‘Inspiratum’ programme.
The Horiuchis work closely with The Georg Solti Accademia di Bel Canto, which offers a unique training opportunity for young opera singers at the start of their careers. Created in 2004 in memory of Sir Georg Solti, the annual three-week summer course takes place in the Tuscan seaside town of Castiglione della Pescaia. The Horiuchis have been supporting Asian singers who are selected to attend the course at Accademia since 2005.
These various endeavours over the years by the Horiuchis have now been formalised through the establishment of the Horiuchi Foundation based in London. Although its activities are modest, we aim to continue to support young artists aspirations in the coming years.