PICKBOY Baton Ambassador | Mitsugu Kawamoto

Activity history and current model

Professor Kawamoto has previously served as first resident conductor of the Deutsche Oper Vorpommernen, principal conductor of the Northeast German Philharmonic, and music director of the Pilsen Radio Symphony Orchestra, and is currently an honorary guest conductor of the Xi'an Symphony Orchestra.

Your favorite PICKBOY baton:

• FTK-150EB/W (Grip: Ebony)
• FTK-150RW/W (Grip: Rosewood)

Both have a total length of 260mm and a grip size of 50 x 12mm.

The idea that the baton is also an "instrument"

"I consider the conductor's baton to be an instrument as well."
Professor Kawamoto explained that he is deeply concerned with how the length, thickness, weight, and material of the baton affect the resulting sound and how it is conveyed to the performer, and that he has used more than 10 different types of batons to date.

Finding the right one for you

"Choosing the right baton for yourself is the first step in making music," says Professor Kawamoto, who places great importance on the grip's fit and the balance of its length.
Currently, they primarily use a shorter 26cm model, and they switch between different materials (ebony and rosewood) depending on the piece being played and the acoustics of the hall.

"I use ebony batons 90% of the time, but there are times when a rosewood baton feels just right," he says, revealing his attention to even the smallest nuances.

How to choose a baton

Professor Kawamoto says that the conditions for a good conductor's baton are that it can be supported naturally without using unnecessary force, and that it is so well-balanced that you forget you are even holding it.
Regarding the selection of materials, he stated that "the most important thing is whether it fits your hand, rather than gender or body type."

Comment from Professor Kawamoto

A conductor's baton is not just a tool; it is a musical instrument.
They are the "guides" who convey the conductor's intentions.
For me, the most important thing is that it's so natural to use that I forget I'm even holding it.

What I want to convey through my baton

While continuing to use PICKBOY batons, Professor Kawamoto told us that "after concerts, I've been asked about conductor's batons more often."
I am deeply grateful that your use of PICKBOY in your own work has made it a new option for other conductors and young musicians, thus spreading its appeal.

profile

Koji Kawamoto

Born in Shimane Prefecture. Graduated from the Department of Conducting, Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. During his time at university, he studied conducting under Hiroshi Wakasugi, Hiroyuki Odano, Masako Endo, and Francis Travis, as well as Valery Gergiev and Serge Celibidache in master classes. After moving to the United States, he studied under Gustav Meyer, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan. He also received direct instruction from his lifelong mentor, Charles Dutoit, in various parts of the world, where he mastered the essence of the "magician of sound."

He won the 10th Tokyo International Conductors' Competition (formerly the Tokyo International Music Competition Conducting Division) at the age of 22. He also won third place in the conducting division of the 59th Prague Spring International Music Competition.

In 1995, he made his debut conducting the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, and has since performed with orchestras around Japan, including the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra.

Since 2001, he has been based in Germany and engaged in international conducting activities, serving as the first resident conductor of the German Opera House Vorpommern, the principal conductor of the Northeast German Philharmonic Orchestra, and the music director of the Pilsen Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 2021, he was appointed Honorary Guest Conductor of the Xi'an Symphony Orchestra.

He has performed as a guest with over 50 orchestras in Europe, North America, South America, Russia, Africa, and Asia, including such prestigious Eastern European orchestras as the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Thuringian Philharmonic Orchestra, Theater Würzburg-Mainfranken, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ontario Philharmonic, Krasnoyarsk Symphony Orchestra, Ukrainian National Dnipropetrovsk Philharmonic Orchestra, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, Malaga Symphony Orchestra of Spain, Concepcion Symphony Orchestra of Chile, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Xi'an Symphony Orchestra, Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, and Guiyang Symphony Orchestra, and is scheduled to appear at regular concerts in the future.

Official Website

https://www.kojikawamoto.com/

Learn more about Professor Kawamoto

We have published explanatory content by Professor Kawamoto on how to choose a baton and how to demonstrate it.

*This page has been compiled based on interviews with and publication permission from Mr. Mitsugu Kawamoto, a regular user of PICKBOY Baton.