Keitaro Harada Receives 2023 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award

The $30,000 award is given annually to a promising American conductor 38 years of age or younger

The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, otherwise known as the Sir Georg Solti Fellow, has helped American conductors in the early stages of their careers for over 20 years.

The award provides career guidance, industry connections, and $30,000 for grant recipients to further hone their skills. Awardees can use the monetary prize in different ways, whether it be for further studies, the study of languages, purchasing of scores, or traveling. Additionally, with the guidance of the Foundation's Board of Directors, the award winners will get the opportunity to meet many experts and mentors within the industry.

"I am truly honored to receive The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award," Keitaro Harada said. "I thank the Foundation for its ongoing support, which has helped to advance my career and accomplish many of my goals. The Solti Foundation U.S. has greatly benefited my career development since 2014, when I received my first Career Assistance Award. It — and the subsequent awards — allowed me to fund my projects and hone my craft, and to grow as an artist. Being selected as The 2023 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Fellow inspires me to continue to develop my skills as a leader and a compelling storyteller through music."

Harada is the current Music & Artistic Director of the Savannah Philharmonic where he recently renewed his contract through the 2026-27 season. As Associate Conductor of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, he has also forged a close connection with the NHK Symphony, with whom he appears frequently. 

A six-time recipient of The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, Harada has formerly served as Associate Conductor for four years at the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops, where he regularly assisted with Music Director Louis Langrée and collaborated with James Conlon and Juanjo Mena at the orchestra’s annual May Festival.

He studied with Lorin Maazel at Castleton Festival and Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival, where, at Valery Gergiev’s invitation, he served on the festival’s faculty in 2016, 2018, and 2021. In addition, Harada was a Seiji Ozawa Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2010, where he delivered a critically acclaimed performance of Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos.