Takashi Ochi:Born 30. Oktober 1934 in Imabari; † 14. November 2010

(Translated from Wikipedia)

Takashi Ochi was born on Oct. 30th in Imabari, Japan. He got his first mandolin lesson at the age of 13. in 1954 he studied the Italian and English language as well as economics at the foreign-language university of Tokyo. At the same time he studied mandolin and guitar for four years that the private Hiruma-conservatory. After his concert diploma he continued for three years with the pedagogical studies as a teacher for mandolin and guitar. After his diploma he worked for several years as a teacher at the Hiruma-conservatory. At the same time he gave many solo concerts and concerts with several Japanese orchestras and took part in many radio and TV productions.

In 1961 Takashi Ochi came to Germany by a contact with [the German guitarist] Siegfried Behrend, and he lived in Saarlouis (district Saarland) for many years. In 1966 he married the German Sylvia Körner. Since 1973 he had the German citizenship. Since 1977 Ochi lived in Heppenheim (region of Mannheim and Heidelberg).

From 1977 until his retirement in 1999 he worked as the leader of the plucked instruments departement at the music school of Mannheim. He was a regular teacher at the Bundesakademie für musikalische Jugendbildung Trossingen (music academy for musical education of the youth) and at many seminars all over Germany. He was also regularly invited as a juror for national and international music competitions, for example the German competition Jugend Musiziert.

Takashi Ochi Works

From 1961 Takashi Ochi was a teacher for several music schools in the district of Saarland and was teaching at the master seminars of the Bund für Zupf- und Volksmusik Saar (BZVS – association for plucked instruments and folkmusic in the district of Saarland). From 1961 to 1974 he was concert master and soloist of the mandolin orchstra of the Saarland (Saarländisches Zupforchester) conducted by Siegfried Behrend and from 1968 to 1990 of the German mandolin orchestra (Deutsches Zupforchester, also conducted by Siegfried Behrend).

During this years he worked intensly with the harpsichordist and organist Wilhem Krumbach with whom he recorded several hundred chamber music works for the Radio Saarland (Saarländischer Rundfunk). He accompanied famous singers like Hermann Prey, Edith Mathis and Ingeborg Hallstein and played under conductors like Karl Ristenpart, Hans Zender, Paul Angerer, Bruno Maderna and others.

Together with his wife who is a mandolinist as well he played in almost all European countries and for several time in Japan. He has recorded more then 40 LPs and CDs for Philips, Thorophon, Avanta, HMS, Deutsche Grammophon, Polydor and some Japanese and Italian labels.

Takashi Ochi has also composed some smaller compositions like Se’i doh for mandolin solo. Several composers have dedicated works for Takashi Ochi, for example Fried Walter, Wolfgang Hofmann, Bernd Scholz, Stanley Weiner and Siegfried Behrend. The composition Ochiana by Heinrich Konietzny is a direct reference to the mandolinst.