Biography

Japanese-born conductor Riku Okamoto is the 1st prize winner of the 4th BMI International Conducting Competition (2022/ ROM). He was 2 finalists of the Assistant Conductor Competition of the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France (2024/FRA). Also,he was invited to the final rounds of the 57th International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors (2021/FRA), the finalist of the 2nd Only Stage International Conducting Competition (2022/ GBR), Semi-Finalist of the 1st Erich Bergel Conducting Competition (2022/ROM).  

Born in 1998, Riku began to study violin at the age of three,he won the 4th prize at the 26th Japan classical music competition. In 2017,he entered  the Tokyo College of Music as a Special Scholarship Student (Conducting Bachelor). And now he is studying at Jorma Panula Acadamy and Jorma's private lesson.In 2024 he was chosen by Riccardo Muti for the student of the Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy in Tokyo. 

Tacticart Orchestra has named Riku Okamoto as its Music Partner starting from April 2024. And Riku was an assistant conductor of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo Japan Tour 2024. 

He has conducted orchestras such as Orchestre national d’Île-de-France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, Ploiești Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Century Orchestra, Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo,Chubu Philharmonic Orchestra,Gunma Symphony Orchestra,Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra, Siamo Orkest,Vaasa City Orchestra. 

He learnd conducting from Jorma Panula, Yutaka Sado, Junichi Hirokami, Toshifumi Tashiro, Nobutaka Masui, Akihito Mihara, Toshihiro Yonezu. He has participated in conducting masterclasses by Jorma Panula, Riccardo Muti,Boris Belkin, Tsugio Tokunaga, Yasuhiko Shiozawa, Jin Wang, John Axelrod.