Joji Hattori, Associate Conductor of Vienna Chamber Orchestra (since 2004) and Music Director of Tokyo Ensemble (since 2001), was raised in Vienna and studied the violin with Rainer Küchl, Michel Schwalbé, Vladimir Spivakov and Yehudi Menuhin. In 1989 he won 1st Prize at the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition, followed by an international career as a concert violinist. Since winning the Lincoln Maazel Fellowship (enabling to have Lorin Maazel's full support) at the Maazel-Vilar Conductor's Competition in 2002 (Carnegie Hall/New York), he has primarily been working as conductor with many orchestras including the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players or the New Japan Philharmonic. In 2005 he will conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra (London) for the first time.
 His recent opera debut (Mozart's "La Finta Giardiniera"/Vienna Kammeroper) was praised by all major newspapers in Vienna and following a successful Japan premiere of Leoncavallo's Zaza at the New National Theatre in Tokyo, he has been invited to conduct Mozart's "Magic Flute" there in January 2006.
 Joji Hattori's has recorded for BMG, is artistic director of various festivals including the Yehudi Menuhin Competition & Festival 2006 and is visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London where he presently resides.