Entrance free OMF Photo Exhibition is taking place at Matsumoto PARCO 3F! You can see OMF various merchandise as well as over 30 photos from 2017OMF.
The exhibition is open until Aug. 27 (Mon). Please drop by when you are in town!
"Children respond when they experienced good music". Under this belief, OMF Director Seiji Ozawa has been inviting local children to Orchestra Concerts and Opera productions for free from the beginning of the festival. Already 330,000 children in Nagano prefecture had experienced the real good music performed by the top artists.
Along with "Concert for Children" and "Opera for Children", we are exited to announce that we will have a "Concert for Children Special Version" with Marcus Roberts Trio! The children who will attend this program are children who go to special schools (ex: schools for the visually impaired children, schools for hearing impaired children, and schools for handicapped children) in Nagano prefecture. In total nearly 200 children gather at Open Studio in Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre, and feel the trio's live performance.
Roberts himself had lost his sight when he was 5 years old in Florida. Until 12 years old, he taught himself a piano until 12 years old, when he started taking professional lessons. We are looking forward what kind of magic would happen on this special program.
■Concert for Children Special Version
Date: Aug. 31 (Fri) 11:00 -
Duration: About 50 min
Venue: Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre Open Studio (3-10-1, Fukashi, Matsumoto)
Marcus Roberts Trio
Program: Performance by Marcus Roberts Trio
Theme songs from Disney movies and more
※This program is intended for educational purposes only. No entry to general public.
【Harmony at the Castle and Welcome Street Live Tomorrow!】
Two of 2018OMF Open Events, Welcome Concert: Harmony at the Castle and Welcome Street Live #1 will take place tomorrow at Matsumoto city! (Both entrance free)
The SK Matsumoto Chorus and SK Matsumoto Junior Chorus perform to welcome the festival in the front yard of Matsumoto Castle, a national treasure of Japan.
At the Welcome Street Live you can enjoy jazz orchestra, piano solo and wood pipe ensemble performances at the Matsumoto Station Plaza. Please come and join us!
■Welcome Concert: Harmony at the Castle
Aug. 11 (Sat) 10:30-12:00 Former site of Matsumoto Castle Ninomaru Palace (rainout)
■Welcome Street Live #1
Aug. 11 (Sat) 16:00-18:00 Matsumoto Station Plaza
Every year since it’s beginning in 1992, the Nagano prefecture residents welcome the festival and its guests with a colorful parade going through historic downtown Matsumoto, which ends in a joint concert with festival conductor in the Honmaru Garden, a National treasure of Matsumoto Castle.
We would like to announce that this year's joint performance will be conducted by skilled trumpet player and a great tutor of OMF Chamber Music Study Group -Brass Ensemble-, Timothy Morrison. He has been teaching at the Study Group since 2010 and this will be his first time to conduct the Joint Concert. This year 10 members from OMF Chamber Music Study Group -Brass Emsemble- will join the performance at the Matsumoto Castle as well. In total 55 groups (About 2688 people) will perform "Shinano no Kuni" and more.
■2018OMF Parade and Joint Performance - Outline
【Date】 August 19 (Sun)
【Group Participation】Total 55 groups (around 2,688 pers.)
【Street Performance】9:10~ Matsumoto Station Plaza etc.
【Parade】 9:30~ In front of M WING～Matsumoto Catle Park
【Joint Performance】 11:00~ Matsumoto Castle Honmaru Garden National Treasure
【Program】 The Stars and Stripes Forever, Anthem of Nagano Prefecture ”Shinano No Kuni”
【Conductor】 Timothy Morrison
※For details on traffic regulations, please check here.
Chamber Concert I is dedicated to Mr. Robert Mann who has passed away this January. He had visited Matsumoto over 13 times, and during his visit he gave us wonderful performances and also taught the true essence of music to numbers of young artists.
Today we are happy to announce 2 more additional members who will perform at the Chamber Concert I on Aug. 19 (Sun). The world famous Nobuko Imai and Sadao Harada, who are both taught by Mann and had performed many times with him at the festival will join the concert. Mann had been invited to come to Japan by Hideo Saito in 1961 to teach Master Class at Toho Gakuen School of Music. Imai and Harada were taught by Mann himself and Harada later formed Tokyo String Quartet.
20 members from Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland, 11 members from Saito Kinen Orchestra, Imai and Harada they all perform Beethoven: String Quartet No.16 in F Major, Op. 135, third movement (String Orchestra), the piece which OMF Director Seiji Ozawa had conducted for the first time in 9 months at Ozawa International Chamber Music Academy Okushiga last month. Tickets are available at tickets agencies and at The Harmony Hall.
【Photo】
Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto (2003) Chamber Concert I
Robert Mann, Miwako Watanabe, Nobuko Imai, Sadao Harada
Beethoven: String Quartet No.16 in F Major, Op. 135
A short clip from the special documentary featuring Seiji Ozawa and Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland "Seiji Ozawa Spirit of Music" has arrived!
Seiji Ozawa lead a masterclass at the Fondation Louis Vuitton from June 30th to July 3rd 2015. The documentary contains footage of the public rehearsals and the final showcase, as well as a short interview with the maestro. Many audience enjoyed the full documentary when we screened it on July 7th in Matsumoto.
We are happy to announce that 3 minutes clip from the documentary is available to watch. We are sure you can feel the glimpse of how the academy students practice themselves before they perform in Matsumoto this year at Chamber Concert I - Robert Mann Memorial Concert-. Please enjoy the video on the Chamber Concert I program page.
One of educational programs at OMF "Concert for Children" will take place on September 6 (Thu) at Matsumoto city gymnasium. This concert intended for Nagano prefecture elementary school sixth grade students, delivered by Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Orchestra. This year we open this program to the public and this is the first time ever to welcome general public "Concert for Children" at OMF!
People who live in Nagano prefecture are all welcome to this program. If you wish to participate, please read below and apply accordingly.
The program is Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, conducted by Tatsuya Shimono who conducted many times at the festival. You can enjoy "Introduction of Instruments" which is a unique performance only can be seen at the Concert for Children. We are looking forward to seeing you!
■Concert for Children Outline
Date: Sep 6th (Thu)
Part 1: Door Open : 10:00- Start: 11:00- (Duration:about 1 hour)
Part 2: Door Open : 13:00- Start: 14:00- (Duration:about 1 hour)
Venue: Matsumoto City Gymnasium Main Arena (5-1, Misuzu, Matsumoto)
Entrance: Free
Program:
Introduction of Instruments
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Song of Nagano prefecture "Shinano no Kuni"
Conductor: Tatsuya Shimono
Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Orchestra
■Open to Public
Intended Audience: Nagano prefecture residents
Number of seats: 1,590 for each parts (In total 3,180 seats)
Other: "Concert for Children" on Sep 7th (Fri) at Hokuto Bunka Hall is NOT open to public.
■How to apply
(1) Apply by post card
(2) One person can apply up to 2 post cards for each part.
(3) Please write "part you wish to attend (Part 1 or Part 2) ", "Numbers of seats". "postal code", "home address", "name", "age", "phone number" on the back of the post card and mail it to the address below.
※The address you write should be in Nagano prefecture.
(4) Where to send
〒390-0874 3-8-13-3F, Ote, Matsumoto
Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival Committee
Close of Application Aug 12 (Sun) , 2018
■Others
(1) The ticket will be "block reserved".
(2) If there were any miss information on the post card or if it was unable to deliver the ticket to the address you provided, the application would be void.
(3) If the numbers of application reached to the numbers of seats, there will be a drawing.
(4) There will be no public parking at the venue.
(5) If you wish to bring child under 6 years old, please come with one adult per child.
The full member list of Saito Kinen Orchestra has been announced! This year we have in total 118 artists to join the magnificent orchestra. Don't miss the one and only sound created by the great artists in the world. Please see each program pages for SKO member list.
SKO members Kei Shirai (violin) & Rei Tsujimoto (cello), who will perform at Chamber Concert I, Chamber Concert III and Orchestra Concert Program B, have been interviewed on Web Bravo (Classical music concert information portal site) !
Interview: Kei Shirai & Rei Tsujimoto (Article is in Japanese)
Chamber Concert I -Robert Mann Memorial Concert- is considered one of the most special programs in this year's Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival. The late great Violinist Robert Mann, who passed away this past January, brought to Matsumoto not only exquisite chamber music and “WORD and MUSIC” performances, but also magnificent music as a conductor. He was deeply committed to educating young musicians as well, and dedicated himself to the Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland since its founding. In addition to the Academy who will hold a memorial concert in his honor, some of Saito Kinen Orchestra members will join the concert.
Today we are happy to announce that 11 SKO members who are all had been taught by Mr. Mann will join the string orchestra. The additional members are Sayaka Kinoshiro, Madoka Sakitsu, Machiko Shimada, Kei Shirai, Chiharu Taki, Chisako Naoe, Ryo Mikami, Aiko Goto (violin), Ryo Oshima, Maiko Takimoto (viola) and Rei Tsujimoto (cello). They will perform one of Mr. Mann and Ozawa's favorite number, Beethoven: String Quartet No.16 in F major, Op. 135 - III. Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo (string orchestra ver.) with 20 Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland members.
Sadao Harada (cello) and Nobuko Imai (viola) , the two tutors chosen by Seiji Ozawa for their talent and for their high standards – will come to the concert as well. Please look forward this the one and only special program.