29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra to make Malaysian debut
Japan is home to various world-class music ensembles, including the 80-member-strong Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. (Tokyo Symphony Orchestra pic)
KUALA LUMPUR : The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is set to make its Malaysian debut with a concert at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas here on Sunday (June 1), marking a new milestone in cultural collaboration between Japan and Malaysia.
Japanese ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata said this aligns with the TSO's Asia Project philosophy of embracing diverse cultural values and promoting mutual understanding through music.
Comprising 80 elite musicians, the TSO will perform under the baton of Naoto Otomo, who has also appeared in orchestras outside of Japan, including the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestre National de Lorraine.
'Western classical music has had a profound and enduring impact on Japan's cultural landscape since its introduction into the school curriculum as part of the Meiji government's modernisation policy efforts nearly 150 years ago,' Shikata said in a statement.
He said that today, Japan boasts an astounding number of concert halls for western classical music, with a constant stream of performances by both domestic and international orchestras and soloists.
Japan, he added, is also home to a multitude of world-class orchestras, including the TSO, which regularly grace the stage with western classical repertoires.
During the concert, award-winning pianist Tomoharu Ushida will perform Chopin's 'Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor', a masterpiece from the acclaimed 19th-century Polish composer.
Following that, the orchestra will bring to life the iconic 'Pictures at an Exhibition', a classical masterpiece from the 19th-century Victorian era by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky.
The TSO was founded in 1946 and has been regularly performing for various operas and ballets at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. Outside of Japan, the ensemble has performed 79 concerts in 58 cities.
Tickets for the concert at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas can be purchased here. Learn more about the TSO here.
