Takehiro Konoe Viola
Information
Facts
Born in Amsterdam
Member since 01.05.2026
Biography
Takehiro Konoe comes from a Dutch-Japanese family of musicians and has felt closely connected to the Berliner Philharmoniker since childhood. Not only did he grow up listening to the orchestra’s recordings, but his great-grandfather, Hidemaro Konoe, was the first Japanese conductor to appear with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1924. Takehiro Konoe began playing the violin at the age of four. The turning point came in 2011 during a masterclass given by the pianist Menahem Pressler at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. For a performance of Robert Schumann’s Piano Quartet, his teacher assigned him the viola – and he has never looked back. Violists have always been in demand in chamber music ensembles, but he also fell in love with the viola’s deep, dark, rough yet warm sound.
From 2016 to 2023, Konoe studied at the Amsterdam Conservatoire under Nobuko Imai and Francien Schatborn. He won Third Prize at the ARD International Music Competition in 2018 and attended the International Music Academy in the Principality of Liechtenstein. He joined the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic exactly 100 years after his great-grandfather’s debut with the orchestra. There, he studied with Principal Viola Diyang Mei. Takehiro Konoe gained orchestral experience as a guest player with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berliner Philharmoniker. In May 2026, he joined the orchestra straight from the Karajan Academy. When he is not making music, he enjoys drawing and working out at the gym.
Awards
1st prize at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition 2023
3rd prize at the ARD International Music Competition 2018
“I’ve admired the Berliner Philharmoniker since I was a child. Playing here means a great deal to me, because my great-grandfather, Hidemaro Konoe, was the first Japanese person to conduct the Berliner Philharmoniker.”
