1990-1999
1990
Bach Collegium Japan’s first concert as an inaugural event of the Izumi Hall in Osaka, Japan.
1991
Tokyo debut concert at the Ishibashi Memorial Hall of Ueno Gakuen University, Tokyo.
1992
Begins subscription concerts in Tokyo (Casals Hall) and Kobe (Kobe Shoin Women’s University Chapel), with the church cantata series as the main program.
1995
Begins the church cantata complete recording project with BIS Records.
Charity concert for the victims and survivors of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
1997
Moves its base in Tokyo to the Kioi Hall.
First overseas concert in Saint-Florent-le-Vieil, France.
1998
Moves its base in Tokyo to the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.
1999
Tour to Israel (Rishon LeZion, Jerusalem) and Musikfest Bremen.
Recording of Magnificat wins the Record Academy Award (music history category).
Masaaki Suzuki wins the Mobil Music Award and the Iue Cultural Prize.
2000-2009
2000
10th Anniversary Concert.
Performs the three great sacred music as the main artist at the “Suntory Hall BACH 2000.”
The performance of St. John’s Passion is broadcast worldwide.
10th Anniversary Tour to Spain, Israel, and the Leipzig Bach Festival.
Melbourne Art Festival “Bach 2000.”
Wins the Ongaku-no-Tomo-sha Award and the Toyota Music Award.
Recording of J.S. Bach’s St. John’s Passion, BWV 245 (1749, IV) wins the Record Grand Prize (18-19th century vocal music category) at the Cannes International Record Trade Show.
Recordings of J.S. Bach’s church cantatas, Vol.11&12 win the Record Academy Award (vocal music category).
Masaaki Suzuki wins the Japan Music Pen Club Prize.
2001
Tour to Italy (Milan, Rome, and Florence).
Masaaki Suzuki receives the Mainichi Art Award and the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
2002
Tour to Spain and Italy (Andora, Spain, and Italy).
Recordings of J.S. Bach’s church cantatas series chosen as one of the ten “top discs of the decade” by the BBC Music Magazine.
2003
Tour to the US (Los Angeles, Berkley, New York, Boston, etc.)
Recording of J.S. Bach’s church cantatas, Vol.22 wins the Diapason d’Or (Baroque vocal music category).
2004
Masaaki Suzuki makes guest appearance as conductor with the Academy of Ancient Music.
Masaaki Suzuki serves as judge at the Leipzig International Bach Competition (organ).
2005
Tour to Korea (Myeongdong Cathedral, Seoul).
Tour to Germany (Bachwoche Ansbach and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival).
Recordings of J.S. Bach’s church cantatas series win the Record Academy Award (special category of planning & production)
Masaaki Suzuki conducts St. Matthew Passion with the Netherlands Bach Society.
Masaaki Suzuki serves as judge at the Leipzig International Bach Competition (cembalo).
2006
Tour to the US (Berkley, Los Angeles, Bethlehem, Washington, and Boston).
European Grand Tour to Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, and England.
Masaaki Suzuki holds cembalo recitals at the UVM Recital Hall and the Carnegie Hall.
Masaaki Suzuki serves as judge at the Leipzig International Bach Competition (organ, cembalo).
2007
European Tour to Schwäbisch Gmünd Festival, Bachwoche Ansbach, and BBC Proms, etc.
Recording of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 wins the Record Academy Award Grand Prize Silver Prize.
Masaaki Suzuki holds an organ recital and an educational program at the Aldeburgh Festival in England.
Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Academy of Ancient Music, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, and Collegium Vocale Gent.
2008
Tour to Europe (Spain, Luxembourg, France, and Germany).
Recording of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor, BWV232 wins the Diapason d’Or and receives nomination for the 2008 Gramophone Award.
Masaaki Suzuki serves as judge at the Leipzig International Bach Competition (organ).
2009
Performances at Canary Islands International Music Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, and Bremen Musikfest.
Masaaki Suzuki conducts and holds educational program at the Aldeburgh Festival.
Masaaki Suzuki receives the Art Encouragement Award of the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
2010-2019
2010
20th Anniversary Concert.
Recording of J.S. Bach’s Motets wins the German Record Critics’ Award and the Diapason d’Or.
Masaaki Suzuki conducts Christmas Oratorio with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.
2011
Hong Kong International Music Festival, Tour to the U.S., performances in France and Germany including Festival de musique de La Chaise-Dieu, Rheingau Musik Festival, and Bremen Musikfest.
Recording of J.S. Bach’s Motets wins the BBC Music Magazine Award, disc of the year (choral category)
Masaaki Suzuki holds a cembalo recital at the Carnegie Hall.
Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra (St. John’s Passion), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, RIAS Kammerchor/Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Netherlands’ Radio Kamer Filharmonie, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Masaaki Suzuki is awarded the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon from His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.
2012
Tour to Europe (Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, and Bremen Musikfest)
Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra at the Verbier Festival.
Masaaki Suzuki receives the Bach Medal from the city of Leipzig, and the Bach Prize from the Royal Academy of Music.
2013
The complete performances and recordings of J.S. Bach’s cantatas series is completed.
New York Philharmonic subscription concert.
Masaaki Suzuki makes a guest appearances as a conductor with the New York Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, and Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Masaaki Suzuki receives the City of Kobe Cultural Award.
2014
Masaaki Suzuki receives honorary doctorate from the Theological University of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands.
Launch of the Luther 500 Project.
Performances in London and Prague.
Tour to the US including the Carnegie Hall in New York.
Wins the 45th Suntory Music Award.
2015
Masaaki Suzuki receives the honorary doctorate in theology from the Theological University of the Reformed Churches in Kampen, the Netherlands.
2016
Grand Tour to Europe including London, Paris, Vienna, and Amsterdam.
2017
Luther 500 Project is completed.
The complete performance and recordings of J.S. Bach’s secular cantatas series is completed.
Tour to the U.S. with Christmas Oratorio (New Haven, New York, Ann Arbor, San Francisco, and Costa Mesa).
Masaaki Suzuki and BCJ win the Gramophone Awards in the Choral category for the recording of Mozart’s Mass in C minor.
2018
BCJ wins the Japan Music Pen Club Prize.
Tour to Europe with Mozart’s Mass in C minor in Groningen, Amsterdam and Paris.
Cantata concerts at Bachfest Leipzig as part of the festival’s « Cantata Ring » project and Mendessohn’s Elijah at Gewandhaus in cooperation with Juilliard415.
B-minor Mass performances at Fribourg International Festival of Sacred Music (Switzerland Debut).
Masato Suzuki takes the position of the Principal Conductor of BCJ.
2019
Live recording of Beethoven Symphony No.9.
CD recording of St. Matthew Passion for the second time to celebrate BCJ’s 30th anniversary.
BCJ joins “Chopin And His Europe” International Music Festival.
2020-
2020
30th Anniversary Year. Grand tour to Europe for 11 concerts with two programs of St. John Passion and Mass/Cantata. Live-streamed/non-audience performance and CD recording of St. John’s Passion in Köln.
All performances get cancelled starting April.
Remote performance of An die Freude online at Chofu International Music Festival 2020.
Resumes concert in August.
The new recording of St. Matthew’s Passion receives the Gramophone Award (choral category).
30th Anniversary Concert.
Prizes:
1999 Record Academy Award (music history category)
2000 Record Academy Award (vocal music category)
Cannes International Record Trade Show Record Grand Prize
(18-19th century vocal music category)
2000 Japan Music Pen Club Prize
2002 Selected as one of the ten “top discs of the decade” by the BBC Music Magazine
2003 Diapason d’Or (Baroque vocal music category)
2004 Le Monde de la Musique: Choc de l’année
2007 Record Academy Award Grand Prize Silver Prize (special category of planning & production)
2008 Diapason d’Or
2008 Nomination for the 2008 Gramophone Award
2010 German Record Critics’ Award
2010 Diapason d’Or
2011 BBC Music Magazine Award, disc of the year (choral category)
2014 Echo Klassik “Editorial Achievement of the Year” prize
2017 Gramophone Awards in the Choral category
2018 Japan Music Pen Club Prize