Yamada was born in Hadano, Kanagawa Prefecture. He studied music at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where his conducting teachers included Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi and Yoko Matsuo. Whilst at the university, he and fellow students founded an orchestra, the TOMATO Philharmonic Orchestra, with Yamada as its music director. The orchestra renamed itself the Yokohama Sinfonietta in 2005, and incorporated professionally in 2011. Yamada was the first prize winner in the 51st Besançon International Conducting Competition in 2009. Other honours include the Akeo Watanabe Music Foundation Music Award and the Hideo Saito Memorial Fund Award, both dating from 2012. He holds the post of 'permanent conductor' of the Japan Philharmonic, and is contracted with the orchestra through August 2017. In September 2017, the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Yamada as its next principal guest conductor, effective April 2018, with an initial contract of three years. In Europe, Yamada first guest-conducted the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in 2010. He became the OSR's principal guest conductor in 2012, with an initial contract of 3 years, after attempts to secure him as the orchestra’s next principal conductor did not come to fruition. In June 2014, his contract as principal guest conductor of the OSR was extended through 31 August 2017. Yamada has conducted several commercial recordings with the OSR for the Pentatone label. Yamada first guest-conducted the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra in 2011. In the fall of 2013, he became the orchestra's principal guest conductor. In April 2015, the orchestra announced the appointment of Yamada as its next principal conductor and artistic director, effective September 2016, with an initial contract of three years. Yamada first guest-conducted the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2012. In May 2018, the CBSO announced the appointment of Yamada as its next principal guest conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season.
Manuel de Falla - Noches en los Jardines de España / El sombrero de tres picos. Mari Kodama, Sophie Harmsen, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Pentatone PTC 5186598
