Junya Nakata | Japanese Pianist, Conductor, Opera Coach, and Choral Conductor

Junya Nakata graduated from Kunitachi College of Music. He has long been active in Japan and Europe in the fields of opera, choral music, vocal accompaniment, and music education. A versatile musician, he combines exceptional collaborative piano skills with extensive experience in opera rehearsals, conducting, and live stage production.

As a recipient of the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Overseas Study Program for fiscal year 2005, Nakata pursued advanced studies in Italy, spending three years in Milan. During this period, he immersed himself in the traditions of Italian opera and studied vocal accompaniment, opera coaching, rehearsal techniques, and theatrical music production. After returning to Japan, he participated extensively in productions presented by major opera organizations, including the New National Theatre Tokyo, the Fujiwara Opera, and the Japan Opera Foundation. Serving in such roles as music staff member, rehearsal pianist, and opera coach, he gained substantial hands-on experience in professional opera production and collaboration with singers.

In 2015, Nakata returned to Europe for further conducting studies and professional training. He studied and worked at Theater Regensburg in Germany and the Vienna Volksoper in Austria. In Vienna, he received further instruction from conductors including Alfred Eschwé and Yuji Yuasa, deepening his expertise in operatic conducting, orchestral collaboration, and the overall musical coordination of stage productions.

In recent years, Nakata has conducted a number of major operatic productions. Between 2018 and 2024, he worked as a conductor with the Fujiwara Opera on school performances presented as part of the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ comprehensive arts education program for children. Through conducting numerous opera performances, he contributed actively to making opera more accessible and to supporting music education for younger generations.

In 2019, he made his Italian operatic conducting debut at the Teatro Verdi di Busseto with Verdi’s Il trovatore. In the same year, he conducted Puccini’s Tosca at the New National Theatre Tokyo’s Playhouse. In 2022, he conducted the Fujiwara Opera’s Imperial Opera production of Madama Butterfly, which was well received.

Alongside his operatic work, Nakata has also become increasingly active as a choral conductor. Since 2022, he has collaborated with the Tokyo Opera Singers at the Spring Festival in Tokyo, participating in performances of Puccini’s works and other Italian operas.

Notably, in projects associated with the Italian Opera Academy in Tokyo, led by the world-renowned conductor Riccardo Muti, Nakata served as chorus master for productions including Aida and Attila. He also contributed to the choral preparation of operas such as Simon Boccanegra and Don Giovanni. These engagements have demonstrated his high level of expertise in rehearsing large opera choruses and coordinating complex stage productions.

As a pianist and collaborative vocal artist, Nakata has devoted many years to vocal accompaniment, opera rehearsals, art-song performance, and vocal coaching. He possesses extensive knowledge of Italian opera, German and Austrian Lieder, Japanese vocal repertoire, and theatrical language and expression, enabling him to provide singers with detailed and highly professional musical support.

In vocal instruction, opera rehearsals, and stage preparation, he focuses not only on the piano accompaniment itself, but also on the integration of language, musical style, breathing, phrasing, and dramatic expression. He is therefore a valued musical partner for singers and opera performers throughout both the rehearsal and performance process.

In the field of education, Nakata previously served as an instructor at the Opera Studio of the New National Theatre Tokyo. He currently teaches at Showa University of Music, where he is responsible for courses including opera performance training, and also serves as a conductor of the Kanagawa Symphony Orchestra. His educational work connects professional music institutions, opera training programs, and practical stage experience, making an important contribution to the development of young singers, opera performers, and aspiring professional musicians.

In April 2026, Nakata is scheduled to conduct the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra at the Main Hall of Suntory Hall in Tokyo as part of the 105th Global Classic Concert. Together with vocalists, instrumentalists, and choristers, he will present a program featuring operatic arias, orchestral works, and cross-cultural musical selections, further demonstrating his public presence and professional influence as a conductor.

Overall, Junya Nakata is a versatile musician whose career brings together advanced European opera training, extensive experience in major Japanese opera productions, exceptional collaborative skills with singers, and substantial conducting experience. He is equally capable of supporting vocalists and opera rehearsals as a pianist and of leading opera, choral, and orchestral performances as a conductor.

His participation in artistic projects organized by the Tokyo International Vocal Society will provide valuable professional support in opera rehearsals, vocal coaching, choral training, stage music production, and the further enhancement of the Society’s international artistic standards.