Background
Yoshida, Hidekazu was born on September 23, 1913 in Tokyo, Japan.
吉田 秀和
Yoshida, Hidekazu was born on September 23, 1913 in Tokyo, Japan.
He later graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in French literature.
From an early age, he was interested in languages, and joined in club activities involving English and German when in high school. He was tutored in the French language by noted poet Chūya Nakahara, and corresponded with noted literary critics Hideo Kobayashi and Shōhei Ōoka when still a student. His first work of music criticism was a series on Mozart, published in the magazine Ongaku Geijutsu in 1946.
In 1948, he helped establish the Toho Gakuen School of Music together with follow music critics and noted musicians.
The school in now one of Japan"s most prestigious music institutions. He made frequent appearances on radio, and later on television, providing commentary on classical music, and on music educational programs.
In 1988, he became director of the Mito Geijutsukan. The same year, he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd class and the Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai Culture Award.
In 1993, he was awarded the Yomiuri Prize.
Yoshida died at his home in Kamakura, Kanagawa in 2012 at the age of 98.