ClassicNavi: Euan Shields Conducts the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra with Pianist Kyohei Sorita
A concert that conveyed the spirit and ambition of a young maestro
The New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra appeared for the first time with the young maestro Euan Shields, still in his late twenties (his Japanese debut was at the Osaka Symphony Orchestra’s subscription concert last November). Shields was born in Osaka in 1998 and began playing the cello at the age of eight. From the age of thirteen he was raised in the United States. He studied cello and conducting at UCLA, and at the Juilliard School he studied under David Robertson. In 2023, he won first prize at the Siemens Halle International Conductors Competition. He is currently Assistant Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra (Chief Conductor: Kahchun Wong).
Euan Shields, an emerging conductor, in his first collaboration with the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (C) K. Miura
The program opened with Weber’s Overture to Oberon. Shields shaped the music with great care, adding fine nuances of expression, while at the same time maintaining strong forward momentum. The horn and clarinet playing was particularly fine.
Next came Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27, with Kyohei Sorita as soloist. Sorita produced a firm, well-projected tone that conveyed a depth appropriate to this late Mozart work. His direct communication with the woodwinds was also excellent. The cadenza was thoughtfully constructed. The second movement featured beautifully shaped playing with deep, spacious breathing, and the pianissimo passages stood out in particular. The third movement, rather than sounding austere—as one might expect from Mozart’s final piano concerto—was rich and substantial, making for a highly satisfying listen. There were also striking moments of hushed dynamics at the end. One might have wished for a bit more vitality from the orchestra overall, though the flute and oboe playing was beautiful and memorable. As a solo encore, Sorita played Mozart’s “Turkish March,” again making effective use of soft dynamics.
In Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27, Kyohei Sorita appeared as the soloist (C) K. Miura
The second half of the concert featured Brahms’s Symphony No. 4. From the very first movement, Shields carefully wove together the intricate strands of sound. The string section adopted a slightly reduced formation (12, 10, 8, 6, 4), which at times felt somewhat light in weight; in such a setup, one hopes each individual player might project even more fully (is that not the purpose of a 12-first-violin formation?). In the second movement, Shields once again drew beautifully layered textures. The third movement had an energetic, well-judged tempo. In the fourth movement, the performance built with real intensity, though perhaps a greater differentiation of character between the variations might have been welcome. The flute solo (Rei Shimizu) was outstanding.
One should commend both Shields’s ability to draw a beautiful sound from the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and his youthful ambition in juxtaposing late works by Weber, Mozart, and Brahms in a single program.
– Haruo Yamada
Concert Data
New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra – Sumida Classical Gateway #35
Piano: Kyohei Sorita
January 9 (Friday), 14:00
Sumida Triphony Hall
Conductor: Euan Shields
Piano: Kyohei Sorita
Orchestra: New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
Concertmaster: Tatsuro Nishie
Program
Weber: Overture to Oberon
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major, K.595
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
Solo Encore
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K.331 – 3rd movement (“Turkish March”)
Additional Performance
January 10 (Saturday), 14:00
Sumida Triphony Hall
Original Article on ClassicNavi (Mainichi Newspaper Group)
By Haruo Yamada
2026-01-10