Koji Ishizaka

Koji Ishizaka first studied orchestral conducting at the Tokyo University of the Arts and, after graduating, orchestral conducting with Prof. Johannes Schlaefli at the Zurich University of the Arts. He then went on to study lied accompaniment with Prof. Carolyn Hague at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna.
In summer 2017, he was a guest solo repetiteur at the Lucerne Theater. In 2018, he took part in the Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as a répétiteur. In the 2018/19 season, he was engaged as a solo repetiteur at the Wuppertaler Bühnen, where he conducted “Die Zauberflöte” and school concerts. In 2022, he joined the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra as Kapellmeister. At Dortmund Opera, he most recently conducted “Gräfin Mariza”, “Die Zauberflöte”, “Orpheus in der Unterwelt”, the International Ballet Gala XXXVII, and the ballet evenings “Peer Gynt”, “Schwanensee”, “Dawson” and the world premiere of the children's opera “Die Reise zu Planet 9”. In the 2024/25 season, he will take over the musical direction of “Sweeney Todd”, among others.