News

OMF Pre-event at MARUNOUCHI RUGBY FESTIVAL!

To celebrate Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Orchestra Brass Ensemble members will make a performance at MARUNOUCHI RUGBY FESTIVAL. The OMF Director Seiji Ozawa is a huge fan of rugby and he participated this festival to mark this historical sport event. The Brass Ensemble will be on a stage of ART SCRUM Opening Event on June 15th (Sat). They will perform the World Cup theme song "World in Union" as well. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Date: June 15 (Sat)

Event: MARUNOUCHI RUGBY FESTIVAL ART SCRUM Opening Event
Venue:Marubiru 1F Maru Cube
   (2-4-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo)
Performance: 15:15-16:30
Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Orchestra Brass Ensemble (Octet)

Trumpet :Ryutaro Hagehashi, Ken Yoshii, Chika Suzuki
Horn: Haruna Horiguchi
Trombone: Akari Minami, Ryo Inoue
Bass Trombone: Kohei Yamada
Tuba: Tsuyoshi Wakabayashi

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Don't miss our pre-event stage at Flower Festival!

OMF will present you series of mini concerts to celebrate this year's festival at several events.

First we will perform at Shinshui Hana Festa 2019 (Shinshu Flower Festival) . 8 brass ensemble from Seiji Ozawa Music Academy will make performances. s
Please come and enjoy our mini-concerts in early-summer!

Date: Jun 1st (Sat) and 2nd (Sun) 【Total 3 stages】
Event: Shinshu Hana Festa 2019
Venue:Nagano Matsumotodaira Koiki Koen(Shinshu Sky Park)
   ①June 1st (Sat) 14:30-15:00 @Hare No Hiroba (outdoor stage)
   ②June 2nd (Sun) 11:30-12:00 @Hare No Hiroba (outdoor stage)
   ③June 2nd (Sun) 13:30-14:00 @Yamabiko Dome (indoor stage)
Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Orchestra Brass Ensemble (Octet)

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2019OMF Leaflet and message from Director Seiji Ozawa are here!

2019 Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival Leaflet is here!

Please take a look at the details of 8 paid programs, educational programs, open events, Saito Kinen Orchestra member list (as of today) and seating map.
(Ticket Information Dial written on the leaflet will be open on May 9th (thu) 10:00 AM)

2019OMF Leaflet (PDF)


Message from Director Seiji Ozawa

This will be the 28th season since the Saito Kinen Orchestra settled in Matsumoto and launched a music festival. It has been many years now, and I sense that the seeds we planted are gradually starting to bear fruit.
When I’m riding a train or walking along a road in Tokyo, sometimes a young, respectable stranger will approach me and say, “I performed under your baton at the gymnasium or castle in Matsumoto a long time ago.”
Some children who sang in the Children’s Chorus in operas I conducted are now working hard as professional singers. All of these bring me the greatest happiness.  
I am thrilled that this year, Fabio (Luisi) will conduct the opera for the first time in a while, and that our close colleague Radek (Baborák) will conduct at Matsumoto for the first time.
Diego (Matheuz), who has become a familiar presence at the Festival, is another conductor whom I greatly trust.
Also, I am personally very excited because the programs are full of pieces that I love.  

Together with my deeply treasured Saito Kinen Orchestra, I wholeheartedly look forward to seeing everyone this summer in Matsumoto.
I would also be absolutely delighted if the music we create in Matsumoto continues to reach many.

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2019 Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival Line-up Announcement!

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 We are pleased to announce the official program of the 2019 Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival (OMF), which returns for its 28th season this year. This summer, the Saito Kinen Orchestra (SKO) will team up with maestro Fabio Luisi for his fifth season at OMF. Mr. Luisi is second only to Festival Director Seiji Ozawa in the number of times he has performed with the SKO at the Festival, and his bond with the orchestra has grown stronger each time. The orchestra will feature Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (Titan), which was masterfully rendered by Ozawa and SKO in 2008, and Franz Schmidt’s Symphony No. 4, which will be heard at OMF for the first time. Mr. Luisi will stand at the podium a total of four times this year, conducting not only the orchestra concerts, but the opera performances as well.

 Conducting another orchestra concert will be Diego Matheuz, who was showered with accolades at Matsumoto last year also. The spirited Venezuelan conductor, who recently performed with the SKO at the Deutsche Grammophon 120 Special Gala Concert in December 2018, will start off his program with Sensemayá, which was composed by fellow Latin American Silvestre Revueltas of Mexico. This will be followed by Mozart’s Haffner Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony. His powerful performances with the SKO of Tchaikovsky’s Symphonies No. 4 (2011) and No. 5 (2018) have heightened our anticipation for No. 6, which is considered to be Tchaikovsky’s final masterpiece.

 The Saito Kinen Orchestra will be in the orchestra pit for the opera production for the first time in four years. The conductor and SKO are already greatly looking forward to bringing to Matsumoto the production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin that was premiered by the internationally popular director, Robert Carsen, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

 A new highlight this year will be the Orchestra Concert with Peter and the Wolf. This symphonic tale, for which Festival Director Ozawa has conducted and narrated in the past, will be presented together with orchestra classics such as the Overture to Le nozze di Figaro and Ma Mère l’Oye. Radek Baborák, an internationally-acclaimed horn player who is more familiar with his SKO colleagues than anyone else, will conduct at the Festival for the first time with this concert. The tremendously popular actor Tsuyoshi Muro will serve as narrator, and the picture book author and Slovakia resident Nana Furiya will provide illustrations for this exciting stage production. The entire family is sure to enjoy this program.

 For the first time in ten years, the OMF Chamber Music Study Group will offer the Liedduo Recital for voice and piano, welcoming Mitsuko Shirai as a teacher. Studies will focus on German lied and results of the camp/lessons at Okushiga Kogen will be presented in recitals.

 We are also planning three chamber concerts that offer high-quality chamber music. The Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland, which is an embodiment of Ozawa’s educational philosophy, was met with thunderous applause for their performance last year and will return to Japan for Chamber Concert I. Young, promising musicians, who are participating in the Academy for the first time after passing highly competitive auditions in Europe, and senior members, who are now flourishing as soloists and concertmasters around the world, will perform string quartets. Alumni of the Okushiga music study groups will join in for the string orchestra. Chamber Concert II will bring audiences ample delight with the harmonies of wind instruments. The virtuosos of the oboe section, which forms the core of the SKO winds, will perform a much-anticipated trio at Matsumoto. Chamber Concert III is also not to be missed, with Brahms: String Sextet featuring Takayoshi Wanami, who has performed as a soloist, been a member of SKO since 1990, and performed many times under the baton of the late Hideo Saito.

 We will bring a richly diverse program to the summer in Matsumoto again this year. We look forward to seeing you soon.


In consideration of Festival Director Seiji Ozawa’s recent physical condition, we have decided to forego the program initially planned with Ozawa and Mitsuko Uchida. We deeply apologize to those who were looking forward to this. Ozawa was unable to be in Matsumoto last year, but he is tremendously enthusiastic about being in Matsumoto this summer to supervise all programs, including the orchestra concerts, opera, chamber music concerts, educational programs, and open events. He also looks forward to seeing the audience and everyone in Matsumoto.

[Audition announcement] 2019 OMF Chamber Music Study Group -Liedduo-


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©Michiharu Okubo / 2009年「サイトウ・キネン室内楽勉強会」(声楽/ピアノ)より

Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival has been putting its effort to educate young musicians and marking a great success.
We are happy to announce that the festival welcomes Ms. Mitsuko Shirai as a teacher again since 2009 and has Liedduo Masterclass at Okushiga Kogen as OMF Chamber Music Study Group. We will have 2 concerts to show their growth.

Please see below for audition information.

Schedule Aug. 8, 2019 (Thur) – Aug. 17, 2019 (Sat)
Place Okushiga Kogen in Nagano prefecture: Sportsheim/Okushiga Kogen Hotel The Music Hall
Matsumoto city in Nagano prefecture: The Harmony Hall
Contents 1) Liedduo (German songs) Lessons. The class will teach Japanese songs as well.
2) 2 concerts by mater class course members (8/15 Okushiga Kogen, 8/17 Matsumoto city)
Teacher Mitsuko Shirai (Mezzo-soprano/Professor at Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe, Guest professor at Kunitachi College of Music)
Mitsuko Shirai
© Masanori Hotta
Expenses Traffic expenses to Nagano station and from Matsumoto station are the responsibility of the individuals.
(In case you are joining the class from overseas, there will be a support from the festival. Please ask for details.
Accommodation fee and meal expenses regarding the classes are covered by the festival.
Number of candidates Liedduo 6 groups (in total 12 singers and pianist)
Entry condition Under 35 as of April 1st, 2019. Studying at or graduated from music university, graduate school or academy. Or anyone who has a same quality, Duo application is preferable, but if you prefer applying as solo singer or solo pianist, please ask.
Audition May. 13, 2019 (mon) From AM to 5 PM
Venue Nerima Culture Center, small hall(Tsutsuji hall)
Repertoire 3 Free songs (German songs). 10 min for 1 group each.
How to apply

Fill in the form and send the application by email or mail by May. 6th, 2019 (Mon).

Application Application form PDF
Application close May. 6th, 2019 (Mon)
Mail 〒157-0066 Forest Seijo 3F, 5-8-17, Seijyo, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival Audition
For inquiry E-mail: omftokyo@ozawa-festival.com

SKO Brass Ensemble Tour final run finished with thunder of applause! We see you in Matsumoto this summer!

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Saito Kinen Orchestra Brass Ensemble tour finally came to an end tonight at Kioi hall in TOKYO. 12 members looked so happy to see the full-hose audience, and performed in total 10 pieces, include "A Whole New World" and "Birdland" as encore. At the end of the endless curtain call, the members accepted OMF themed-color blue rose and left the stage.
We thank you all the audience who came to see the performance, and all the staffs who made this incredible tour possible.
Until we see you in Matsumoto this summer!!

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SKO Brass Ensemble performance shined in IWAKI!

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Saito Kinen Orchestra Brass Ensemble performed brightly at Iwaki Performing Center.
One of the good thrill of being on a tour is performing in different city and venue each day.
Tonight the Iwaki Performing Center gave us a full range of color lighting to match with each music and added spice to the tour.
The members were quite happy when they could leave their names on the wall of the backstage. Thank you all for coming to enjoy the ensemble harmony!
And big congratulations to 10 years anniversary, Iwaki Performing Arts Center!

Tomorrow the tour finally comes to the final day. We see you in TOKYO!
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Thank you for the full-house in MITO! SKO Brass goes to IWAKI tomorrow!

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The tour of Saito Kinen Orchestra Brass Ensemble came to the second half. We thank all of he audience who made Art Tower Mito full-house tonight!

One of the music that we are honored to perform in this tour is Mühlbacher: Minimal Music, since it made its Japan debut.
Please watch carefully Mr. Satoshi Takeshima (marimba)'s foot steps, as the members watch his rhythm to not to lose their own.

Tomorrow we go to IWAKI for the second to last performance of our tour!
Ticket on day will be available for purchase from 5:30PM at the entrance of the Iwaki Performing Arts Center. We are looking forward to seeing you!

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SKO Brass Ensemble enjoyed HIROSHIMA performance! Ticket on day available at MITO!

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Saito Kinen Orchestra Brass Ensemble had its 4th day of the tour in HIROSHIMA. Thank you all for making the venue packed, and we were so happy to see many young audience carrying instruments cases!

The next performance is in MITO on Jan 29 (Tue). The tickets are sold out, but some ticket on day is available for purchase on the day of the performance.
Please call 029-231-8000 (Art Tower Mito Ticket Center) for booking from 9:30 AM on Jan 29.

Tickets for IWAKI performance on Jan 30 (Wed) are still available. Don't miss out the great harmony!

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SKO Brass Ensemble OSAKA performance closed with special encore! Here comes HIROSHIMA tomorrow!

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The 3rd day of the tour we came to Osaka for matinee performance. Thank you all for coming despite the very cold weather!

It was the first time for the SKO Brass to perform in Kansai area. To celebrate it, the 12 musicians played "Rokko Oroshi" (Osaka-based baseball team Hansin Tigers song) at the encore. The audience enjoyed it with clapping hands together.

Tomorrow the tour goes to HIROSHIMA, where had welcomed us warmly 2 years ago in previous tour! We're looking forward seeing you!

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