Morihiko Nakahara

Who is Morihiko Nakahara?

Morihiko Nakahara is a Japanese conductor.

Born in Kagoshima, Japan, Nakahara is the Associate Conductor of the Spokane Symphony. Nakahara received a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Rodney Winther. In 1998 he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Andrews University. He has done additional conducting studies with Larry Rachleff, Mark Gibson, Jerry Junkin, and Alan Mitchell.

Nakahara was featured in the American Symphony Orchestra League’s National Conductor Preview in March 2005. An advocate of new music, Nakahara has collaborated with notable contemporary composers as Steve Reich, Michael Torke, Augusta Read Thomas, Azio Corghi, Menachem Zur, and Yasuhide Ito.

Nakahara regularly appears on the Classics, Casual Classics, and Symphony on the Edge series and was recently appointed as artistic director of both SuperPops series as well as educational and outreach concerts with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he has been a clinician, guest conductor, and speaker at various educational institutions throughout the Inland Northwest.