Musicon / Musical education / Seiji Ozawa: I hope Asiatic peoples love classical music
-Seiji Ozawa: I hope Asiatic peoples love classical music
Seiji Ozawa was born in Manchuria during the Japanese occupation – his father a Buddhist, his mother a Presbyterian – he was raised in Tokyo, and greatly influenced by western culture and a Christian upbringing. His love of music was first explored through the church, but later he studied at the Toho School of Music in Tokyo. A career as a pianist was curtailed when the 16-year-old sports-loving Ozawa broke two fingers during a rugby match.
From Toho he traveled to Europe and New York to further his studies. It was a steep learning curve where he learnt how to deal first-hand with other cultures. “I have many problem, beginning”, he told CNN. “Um… maybe now, I don’t know, but beginning especially. It was difficult. Some people ask me, ‘You came from China, you came from Japan, do you really understand Bach or do you really understand Mozart?’”
Ozawa left Boston for Vienna to embrace a new challenge with the State Opera. As well as the challenge of a new city and repertory, Ozawa believes it was a move that rounded out his musical education, even if he was 68-years-old at the time. When a young conductor his interest in opera had been fostered by his early tutor Herbert von Karajan. “He [Karajan] said if you don’t study this, one half of Mozart you’ll never touch and almost 99 percent of Wagner, almost 100 percent of Puccini and Verdi, you know, half of Mozart is gone.”
While Ozawa will step down from his position at the Vienna State Opera next summer, he will remain active in directing, conducting and educating the next generation in classical music. “I have big hope all Asiatic people and countries… everybody love music basically,” he said. “Teaching has become, I think, more and more important my life, really.”
From CNN; excerpts, edited by MUSICON