Kazuki Yamada is music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra since 2024 and commences his new position as artistic director and chief conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 2026, following the end of his tenure with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, where he was at the helm since 2016.
Having studied at Tokyo University of the Arts, Yamaa studied further under the close supervision of Seiji Ozawa. He won first prize at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors in 2009.
As a guest conductor, Yamada has worked with major orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Symphoniker, The Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, and Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He also conducts opera productions at the Royal Opera House London and the Monte Carlo Opera. Yamada appears annually as guest artist at the Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland.
Residing in Berlin, Yamada regularly travels back to Japan for concerts with orchestras such as the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra.
In 2025, he received the Royal Philharmonic Society Conductor Award.
Kazuki Yamada makes his first appearance with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the 2026-27 season.