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 and ending in a joint concert with festival conductors in the garden of Matsumoto's majestic castle.
This year the joint performance will be conducted by Diego Matheuz who will make his fifth appearance at the festival after four years since 2019. Matheuz is the first Principal Conductor of the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy and will conduct this year's OMF Opera and "Opera for Children".
◼️Parade / Joint Performance
Date Aug. 20 (Sun) Parade 9:30- / Joint Performance 11:00-
Venue Parade: Matsumoto City, Matsumoto Castle
Joint Performance: Matsumoto Castle Honmaru Garden National Treasure
* Entrance fee required to enter Matsumoto Castle.
Conductor：Diego Matheuz (Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Principal Conductor)
Diego Matheuz belongs to the first generation of outstanding musicians emerging from Venezuela’s El Sistema. With a busy conducting career in Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin and North America, he is firmly established on the international circuit and looks back at fruitful periods as principal conductor of La Fenice in Venice, principal guest conductor—upon Claudio Abbado’s invitation—of the Orchestra Mozart Bologna, and as principal guest conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
A particularly significant moment in his career was the gala concert celebrating the 120th anniversary of Deutsche Grammophon at Suntory Hall in December 2018, where he exchanged the baton with Seiji Ozawa to conduct the Saito Kinen Orchestra with soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Subsequently, Seiji Ozawa invited Mr. Matheuz for concerts with the SKO at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival and on tour in China. In 2022, he worked on Die Fledermaus with the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, an exemplary performance which resulted in his appointment as the Music Academy’s first-ever principal conductor.
In opera, Mr. Matheuz worked at the Berlin and Bavarian State Operas, Paris Opera, the Liceu in Barcelona, and Rossini Festival Pesaro. In June 2021 he scored a major personal success with his first Aida at the Arena di Verona. With Carmen, he will give his debut at the Met in 2024.
In Venezuela, Mr. Matheuz forms and expands the repertoire of the Sistema orchestras. He also works with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, of which he is principal conductor.
