Masaaki Suzuki has acquired an outstanding reputation not only as an organ and harpsichord soloist, but also as a conductor. Since 1990 Suzuki has been the musical director of Bach Collegium Japan (BCJ), which specialises in regular performances of Bach’s Cantatas as well as other sacred works. As the director of BCJ, Suzuki works regularly with renowned soloists and ensembles. Suzuki has earned a fine reputation through his interpretation of Bach’s Cantata series on the BIS label and has recently begun to record JS Bach’s complete harpsichord music.

Masaaki Suzuki was born in 1954 at Kobe, Japan. At the age of 12 he began playing the organ for church services every Sunday. After graduating from Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music with a degree in composition and organ performance, he continued to study harpsichord and organ at Sweelink Conservatory, Amsterdam under Prof. Ton Koopman and Prof. Piet Kee.

Suzuki has presented concerts in countries including France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria and the USA as well as in Japan. In 2004 he made his UK debut with the Academy of Ancient Music and in 2005 performed with the Netherlands Bach Society.

In 2006 Suzuki toured the USA performing recitals of Bach’s Welltempered Clavier Book 2 in prestigious venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York. In May of that year the BCJ conducted by Masaaki Suzuki gave a ten-concert tour of Europe which included his debut performances in Madrid and at the Concertgebouw and the Barbican, all of which were highly acclaimed. In June 2007 he appeared at the Aldeburgh Festival and in Germany, and he made his Proms debut with the BCJ in August 2007.

Suzuki is Professor of Organ, Harpsichord and Early Music at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. In April 2001 he was decorated with the German “Verdienstkreuz am Bande des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik”.