Hideo Saito (musician)

Hideo Saito (May 23, 1902 – September 18, 1974) was a Japanese cellist, conductor, and music lecturer.

Hideo Saito was born in Akashicho, Chūō, Tokyo, the second child of Hidesaburo Saito, an English-language researcher. Since 1906, Saito was raised in Ichibanchō (then Gobanchō), Chiyoda, Tokyo. When he was twelve, he became interested in music. The first instrument he played was the mandolin.

At the age of 16, Saito started playing the cello under the tutelage of a musician in Imperial Household Ministry. After attending the Gyosei Junior High School, Saito entered Sophia University. In 1922, however, he left university to study music in Germany. On his way there, he was accompanied by then-famous composer and conductor Prince Hidemaro Konoye who was the younger brother of pre-war Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe. After spending six months in Berlin, Saito moved to Leipzig to study cello with Professor Julius Klengel at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig.

In 1927, Saito returned to Japan and was appointed principal cellist of the New Symphony Orchestra. He also appeared as a soloist. In 1930, he returned to Germany for more studies, this time studying with Emanuel Feuermann at the Musikhochschule in Berlin. After two years of intensive study, Saito returned to Japan and resumed his work as principal cellist of the New Symphony Orchestra.

In September 1936, Joseph Rosenstock was appointed permanent conductor of the New Symphony Orchestra. This appointment was to have quite an impact on Saito's musical life. He later confessed that he had learned so many things from Rosenstock. During that period, he was an active solo and ensemble player and was on his way to establishing a conducting career. In 1941, he left the New Symphony Orchestra to devote himself entirely to conducting. He took a conducting position with several professional orchestras.

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