Amin Abbas

ABU DHABI: The New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that was founded by conductors Seiji Ozawa and Naozumi Yamamoto as an orchestra operated independently by the musicians.

Seiji Takahashi, the manager of New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra told Arab News Japan that the orchestra was formed in September 1972 by the world-famous conductor Seiji Ozawa and Naozumi Yamamoto, who worked to popularize classical music, and the orchestra was voluntarily organized by its musicians.

“We do not have the strong financial backbone of a national or public organization, but above all we have been working with a strong will to manage the orchestra by ourselves. In the process, we have received support from various people,” Takahashi said.

In 1975, Kazuhiro Koizumi was appointed as the first music director, and in 1983, Michiyoshi Inoue was appointed as the second music director. In 1997, it moved to Sumida Ward, a city of history and tradition, with the Sumida Triphony Hall, which opened in the same year, as the base for its activities. In 1999, Seiji Ozawa was appointed Conductor Laureate.

“In 2023, with the support of various companies and the local Sumida Ward, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of our foundation. The UAE was founded in December 1971. In this context, the orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023, thanks to the support of various companies and the local Sumida Ward, Tokyo. During these 50 years, the permanent conductors have been Seiji Ozawa, Kazuhiro Koizumi, Michiyoshi Inoue, the leading conductors of Japan, and the world-renowned Daniel Harding and Ingo Metzmacher. Other guest conductors also represent the world,” he said.

“We are based at the Sumida Triphony Hall, Tokyo. We have always had the spirit of ‘self-management’, in which each and every member of the orchestra is a key player in the management of the orchestra, as well as the spirit of pioneering the introduction of new music,” he added.

About the challenges that the Japanese symphony orchestra have faced during the years, Takahashi said: “There is now a very diverse range of values, and music that transcends conventional categories is supported by people around the world.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract the interest of young people with only great masters, like Beethoven and Mozart. Even contemporary music rarely attracts the interest of general audiences, and times are tough for contemporary composers. That’s what orchestras are for.”

“I think it’s quite difficult to operate just by playing classical music from the past. At the same time, it takes a lot of energy and time to introduce the works of contemporary composers. Now, when we can enjoy music on our computers as much as we want, it’s still very difficult to organize an orchestra. But many musicians play music together and share the emotional experience as one with the audience, what could be more wonderful than that? I believe that the role of the orchestra will remain firm in the future,” he added.

New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra was part of Abu Dhabi Festival 2025 and made a spectacular Arab world premiere at the festival led by legendary conductor Yutaka Sado, alongside star tenor Jonathan Tetelman and celebrated pianist, Kyohei Sorita on Feb. 7-8.

Attendees were captivated by a stunning repertoire on the two opening nights, including Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Kyohei Sorita at the piano, Tchaikovsky’s iconic Piano Concerto no. 1 and Symphony No. 5, and Puccini’s “What a Beautiful Woman” from the opera Manon Lescaut, brought to life by the magnificent voice of internationally acclaimed tenor Jonathan Tetelman, among other remarkable pieces.

“This wonderful project has been made possible by the staff in charge of the practicalities of the hall at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi,” Takahashi said. “The rental company that has provided us with many facilities for our distant location, our partners in the UK who have connected us with the festival, and the Director Sado, pianist Kyouhei Sorita, the orchestra musicians, the administrative staff, well, so many people have worked so hard across borders.”

“We spent two whole years building this project slowly and surely, with persistence and mutual understanding. This project is truly a success, with many musicians bringing different instruments languages to the project,” he added.

“Of course, this is my first time, and I don’t think many of the orchestra members have ever been to the Middle East. It is a pity that in Japan, news about the Middle East is often gloomy, with war and terrorism. In the UAE, on the other hand, people are cheerful and very friendly.”

About his passion for music, Takahashi said: “In Japan, music education is a very important element, and a lot of musical material is provided from an early age. In terms of musical instruments, the recorder and keyboard harmonica are always taught in primary school, an environment where everyone can become familiar with music is provided. It is easy to get pleasure from playing musical instruments. But some people are not very good at it. In such a situation, I think it is equally important not only to play but also to have the pleasure of listening to it. I think that the experience of listening to music and finding it enjoyable and beautiful is the best trigger of all.”

“We are an orchestra, so first, we want to place importance on classical music. Outside of that, too, there are of course various genres. The size of classical music in the whole of music may not be so huge today, but it is loved beyond the times and borders. Classical music is a timeless and irreplaceable part of modern life. Not only the era, but the works performed today are by Tchaikovsky and are played with heartfelt sympathy by Japanese people in far East Asia,” he added.