With the broad range of repertoire from the traditional literature to contemporary music, conductor Toshifumi Kanai has made appearances in the music scenes in Europe and Japan.

In June 2016, Toshifumi Kanai won the special award from Mrs. Elżbieta Penderecka: a wife of Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki known as one of the greatest concert organizer, at the Aram Khachaturian International Conducting Competition in Armenia. The prize was extemporarily made for him by the Mrs. Elżbieta’s advocation and he got promised to have a concert with Polish great orchestras. In December 2016, Toshifumi Kanai got an opportunity to perform Krzysztof Penderecki’s works in front of the composer himself. The performance was highly evaluated by public and the composer.

Toshifumi Kanai has also been a welcome returning guest to many orchestras. Down to date in 3 years of life in Budapest, he performed with Hungarian State Opera Orchestra（Failoni Chamber Orchestra）, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Concerto Budapest Orchestra, Dunabe Symphony Orchestra and Gödölő Symphony Orchestra. In Japan, he has already conducted over 20 orchestras. First, Toshifumi Kanai start to study Bassoon and Piano in Japan, he enrolled at the Liszt Academy of Music in September 2013, to study orchestral, opera and   chorus conducting.

He graduated from the Liszt Academy of Music in June 2015, with the highest honors. He was the first foreign student in the history of the Liszt Academy of Music, who graduated from the conducting department.

After the graduation he got an internship assistant conductor position at Budapest Operett Theater in 2015-2016. In the theatre, he learned much about controlling massive ensemble’s passionate mechanism.

Toshifumi Kanai has attended many conducting master classes such as Kurt Masur’s one. In 2014, he also attended prof. Jolma Panula’s master class in Kuopio.

Mr.Kanai studied conducting under Andras Ligeti, Adam Medveczky, Tamas Gal, Kazuyoshi Akiyama and Ken Segoe. His Bassoon teacher was Kouei Asano. Piano and Solfege teacher was Yoshimi Tamaki, Kanae Kowada and Takako Asano.