News

2018 Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival Open!

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<Aug. 19 (Sun) Joint Performance at Matsumoto Castle Honmaru Garden National Treasure>

The 2018 Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival has opened on Aug. 18 (Sat) with a brilliant performance of OMF Chamber Music Study Group -Brass Ensemble-! 10 young brass students who passed through an audition performed 2 quintets and 7 dectes (include encores) beautifully. More than 500 audience gave warm hands to the artists and 3 instructors, and they were asked to come back on the stage many times at the curtain call.
The festival had numbers of events on the 2nd day of the opening! Parade and Joint Performance took place throughout Matsumoto city on Aug. 19 (Sun). 55 groups, about 2700 people joined this open event. At the Joint Performance which took place at Matsumoto Castle Honmaru Garden National Treasure, OMF Chamber Musc Study Group -Brass Ensemble- instructor, Timothy Morrison conducted "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Shinano No Kuni" with 1700 young brass players and 10 OMF Chamber Music Study Group -Brass Ensemble- artists.
After the cheerful outside event, one of the most important programs of this year; Chamber Concert I -Robert Mann Memorial Concert- opened at the Harmony Hall.
To honor the great violinist, instructor and conductor, Mr. Robert Mann's loving memory, 20 members from Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland and 13 Saito Kinen Orchestra members performed together. Mr. Mann conducted Beethoven: String Quartet No.13 "Cavatina" at 2009 Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto with Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Orchestra. The video of this performance was screened before the opening.
The program has started with footage from Mr. Mann's documentary "Speak The Music" (2013/ Dir. Allan Miller). After 5 string quartets from the Academy, Mr. Mann's daughter Lisa Mann Marotta gave a heartfelt speech.
After the speech, string orchestra with 33 artists had begun. They played Beethoven: String Quartet No.16 in F Major, Op. 135, third movement, and Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat major, Op. 130 5th movement Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo as an encore. Before Cavatina, Suyoen Kim (violin) and Tomoko Akasaka (viola) said they'd dedicate this performance to Mr. Mann.
OMF Director Seiji Ozawa refreins from coming to Matsumoto due to serious back pain. He had a skype meeting with Chamber Concert I artists at rehearsal on Aug. 18 and wished them all the good luck.
Rehearsals for Orchestra Concerts start from Aug. 22 (wed)! Please look forward the wonderful sound the Saito Kinen Orchestra make with conductors Diego Matheuz, Kazuyoshi Akiyama and Kensho Watanabe.

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<Aug. 19 (Sun) Chamber Concert I -Robert Mann Memorial Concert- Curtain call>

2018OMF official goods are ready!

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We are happy to announce the lineup of this year's 2018OMF official merchandise!
Various souvenirs are ready including ticket sleeve, OMF Opera "Gianni Schicchi" original T-shirt, notebooks, Japanese Tenugui Hand Towels, stationaries and more.
Did you know that OMF festival "M" logo and hand-written "Saito Kinen Orchestra" were written by Seiji Ozawa the Director?!

The official goods shop at Kissei Bunka Hall opens on Aug 21 (Tue). You can purchase the goods at the Harmony Hall tomorrow and on 19th!
2018OMF official program is also available for purchase. Please enjoy shopping along with 2018OMF concerts.

■2018OMF official goods shop
Venue: Kissei Bunka Hall Entrance
Date: Aug. 21 (Tue) - Sep.7(Fri) (10:00-17:00/ open till the end of performance on Concert days only) .
- Entrance Free
- Cash and Credit Card available
- At the Harmony Hall and Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre also have the official goods shop only on OMF performance days.

How to get to The Harmony Hall on Aug 18!

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2 more days until the 2018OMF opening! The first program at the festival; "OMF Chamber Music Study Group -Brass Ensemble-" will take place at The Harmony Hall. You can take taxi from Matsumoto station (15min) or take Ooito line train from Matsumoto station (10min) and drop off at Shimauchi station, the closest station from the venue. It will take 5 min walk from Shimauchi station.
Please be aware that there are only a few trains available to come to the Harmony Hall before the starting time. Ticket on day is available from 2PM at the venue!

★Trains arrive before the starting time (4PM)
<From Matsumoto Sta to Shimauchi Sta Ooito line Timetable>
14:09
15:08
★Trains depart after the closing time (around 6PM)
<From Shimauchi Sta. to Matsumoto Sta. Ooito line Timetable>
18:36
18:51
19:48
http://www.ozawa-festival.com/access/

OMF Chamber Music Study Group -Brass Ensemble- Getting ready now!

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OMF Chamber Music Study Group, 10 brass students selected through the audition, is now taught by the members of Saito Kinen Orchestra in Okushiga.
After they finish the camp with an entrance-free concert at Okushiga Music Hall (Aug 17), they come to OMF to blow a fanfare that tells the opening of the Festival.

Aug. 18 concert at The Harmony Hall ticket on day is available!
Please come and enjoy their brilliant brass music!

Ticket on day: Aug. 18 (Sat) sales from 14:00 at the entrace of The Harmony Hall. Ticket price is 1000 yen!

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Chamber Concert II - Colorful Assortment of Good Chamber Music

2018OMF Chamber Concert II provides a clear crystallization of chamber music by superb artists.
On Aug 25(sat), 17:00-, at the Harmony Hall in Matsumoto city, a great piano duo sisters Mari Kodama and Momo Kodama will perform Messiaen, Debussy and Tchaikovsky.
After their four handed performance, colorful music pieces of Poulenc and Saint-Saëns will be performed by Saito Kinen Orchestra members, all those who are prestigious artisits.

Please check the short clip introducing amazing artists of Chamber Concert II on its program page.
Only few tickets are left. Don't miss out!

OMF Photo Exhibition at Matsumoto PARCO!

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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!
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Concert for Children Special Version with Marcus Roberts Trio!

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"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!

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【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

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2018OMF Parade & Joint Performance Conductor Announcement

_0KU5147_(C)大窪道治_small_trimmed.jpgEvery 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 ParticipationTotal 55 groups (around 2,688 pers.)
Street Performance9:10~ Matsumoto Station Plaza etc.
Parade 9:30~ In front of M WING~Matsumoto Catle Park
Joint Performance11:00~ 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.

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Chamber Concert I Nobuko Imai and Sadao Harada join the String Orchestra!

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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