How to choose a conductor's baton, answered by Professor Kawamoto | PICKBOY Official

🎵 Consultation is open

"I don't know what kind of baton to choose" or "I don't really understand the differences in weight and length"...
For your questions and concerns, Mr. Koji Kawamoto, a PICKBOY ambassador and conductor active on the world stage, will provide advice from a professional perspective.

For questions, please use DMs on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter),
Alternatively, you can also contact us through the contact form.
There may be cases where we introduce you in a post (anonymity is OK).
Please feel free to consult us.

※ If there are many questions, we may limit responses to . Thank you for your understanding in advance.

💬 For example, questions like this

• How should I choose my first baton?
• Is it okay to use the same baton for regular rehearsals and performances?
• What criteria should I use to choose length and weight?
• What grip material suits me?

🎬 Videos on choosing a baton by Professor Kawamoto are also available!

The video series 'How to Choose a Baton' narrated by PICKBOY Ambassador Professor Koji Kawamoto is now available.
We provide clear explanations, including demonstrations of the differences in weight, length, and balance of batons.

▶ Click here for the video explanation page

👤 Profile of Professor Koji Kawamoto

Born in Shimane Prefecture. Graduated from the Conducting Department of the Faculty of Music at Tokyo University of the Arts. During his studies, he studied conducting under Hiroshi Wakasugi, Hiroyuki Odan, Masako Endo, Francis Travis, and in master classes with Valery Gergiev and Sergiu Celibidache. After moving to the United States, he furthered his studies under Gustav Meyer, an emeritus professor at the University of Michigan. He also received direct guidance from his lifelong mentor, Charles Dutoit, around the world, mastering the essence of the 'wizard of sound.'

He won an award at the 10th Tokyo International Conducting Competition (formerly the conducting section of the Tokyo International Music Competition) at the age of 22. He placed third in the conducting section 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. Since then, he has collaborated with various orchestras, including the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, the Kyoto City Symphony Orchestra, the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra.

Since 2001, he has moved his base of activities to Germany and has developed an international conducting career. He has served as the principal conductor of the German Vorpommern Theater, the chief 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.

So far, he has continued guest performances with over 50 orchestras in Europe, North America, South America, Russia, Africa, and Asia, including prestigious Eastern European orchestras such as the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Thüringen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Würzburg Mainfranken Theater, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Ontario Philharmonic, the Krasnoyarsk Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine in Dnipro, the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, the Malaga Symphony Orchestra in Spain, the Concepción Symphony Orchestra in Chile, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, the Xi'an Symphony Orchestra, and the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, and is scheduled to perform regularly in the future.

For details, please visit the official website.