We are happy to announce the Line Up of the 1st Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival.

Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto (SKF), which since 1992 under the direction of world-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa has been held every year in summer in Matsumoto, Japan, is this year coming out under a new name of Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival (OMF). The Saito Kinen Orchestra (SKO), which formed the basis of SKF, remains at the core of OMF, welcoming well-known classical music conductors, musicians and opera actors as always.

Following a high rating of Verdi: Falstaff Opera held at 2014SKF, Maestro Fabio Luisi the Principal Guest Conductor of Metropolitan Opera and Grammy Award Winner will be coming back this year to hold a concert conducting the Saito Kinen Orchestra. OMF will also welcome Robert Spano, Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, to conduct the Saito Kinen Orchestra together with OMF general director Seiji Ozawa. To mark the first edition of OMF, Seiji Ozawa will also conduct internationally seldom performed Berlioz:Béatrice et Bénédict, in over three performances.

This year again OMF will offer an exciting program of chamber concerts. The members of SKO will perform Schubert: Octet in F major D803 and hold a variety of brass ensembles. Roland Altmann, a longtime timpanist of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, will be coming to Matsumoto for the first time, to perform Gerster: Capricetto for Timpani and Strings.

OMF will also have the popular educational programs that aim at bringing the classical music closer to the teenagers. It expects to welcome over more than 20,000 students from Nagano Prefecture. Under its program “The Concert for Children”, the sixth graders from elementary schools in the region will experience classical concert whereas under “The Opera for Young People” program, first year high-school students will be given an opportunity to experience the opera performance for the first time.

In its Special Program organized by Celebrating Seiji at 80!, the students of Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland will visit Matsumoto for the first time to perform together with the students of Ozawa International Chamber Music Academy Okushiga. The festival will also be enriched by numerous cultural events and activities organized by the citizens of Matsumoto as a part of Matsumoto's exceptional hospitality and welcome.

OMF invites you to join us in Matsumoto to experience the magic of classical music at your fingertips. We look forward to seeing you.