Kazuki Yamada

Kazuki Yamada is a Japanese conductor known for his passionate performances and collaborative approach. He is currently Music Director of both the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo (OPMC), and also holds the title Permanent Conductor with the Japan Philharmonic.

Born in Kanagawa, Japan, on January 26th, 1979, Yamada studied Music at Tokyo University of the Arts and rose to international prominence following his first place in the Besançon Competition for Young Conductors in 2009. He has since become well-known in the classical world for his passionate performances and trademark physicality.

A much sought-after guest conductor in his native Japan, as well as in Europe and North America, Yamada’s busy international schedule includes orchestral, operatic and choral conducting. In 2025, alongside commitments in Birmingham and Monaco plus regular guest engagements, he debuts with the Berlin and New York Philharmonic Orchestras and the San Francisco Symphony.

Yamada’s association with both of his principal orchestras dates back more than a decade having first guest conducted the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2011 and 2012 respectively. He has been Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of OPMC since September 2016, and in April 2023 he took over from Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla as Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the CBSO. At the time of writing, his roles with both orchestras have been elevated to Music Director.

Quoted as saying ‘The audience is always involved in making the music…’, Yamada’s collaborative approach extends beyond the connections made in the concert hall. He has actively forged links between his orchestras in Birmingham and Monaco, and takes his role as educator very seriously through the CBSO’s outreach programme and various other educative commitments.