HarrisonParrott starts 2022 with multiple Japanese engagements
19/10/2022
In September, National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra embark on their 11-concert tour of Japan with Marin Alsop, which included the orchestra’s debut at Suntory Hall Tokyo as well as concerts in Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Yokohama. The programme includes Bacewicz’s Overture, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1, Brahms’ Symphony No.1 and Dvořák’s Symphony No.9, alongside soloist Hayato Sumino.
October brings Orchestre de Paris’ long awaited return, and Music Director Klaus Mäkelä’s first tour to Japan with a visiting orchestra. They embark on a four-city, six-concert visit to Japan from 15 October, presenting two programmes including Debussy La Mer, Ravel Bolero, and Stravinsky Rite of Spring and Firebird. Pianist Alice Sara Ott travels with them as soloist for performances of Ravel’s Piano Concerto. Concerts take place in Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Nagoya’s Aichi Prefectural Art Theatre Concert Hall, Okayama’s Symphony Hall, and Osaka’s Festival Hall.
Once again, HarrisonParrott manages the BBC Proms Japan from 29 October to 6 November, presented and sponsored by Daiwa Securities Group. The six day festival includes performances at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall, Tokyo and The Symphony Hall in Osaka with BBC Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Dalia Stasevska. Violinist Nicola Benedetti joins for the initial two concerts including the First Night of the Proms, followed by piano duo Makoto Ozone and Gonzalo Rubalcaba in a special Jazz Night session. Cellist Sol Gabetta performs in a British/Czech masterpieces concert, then pianist Hayato Sumino joins for a Game and Cinema Prom. Prom 5 introduces Nordic and 21st Century music to the festival with pianist Yu Kosuge. In the Last Night of the Proms, we are joined again by Nicola Benedetti and baritone Roderick Williams featuring traditional and renowned repertoire, and contemporary and cinema works. Outside of the concert hall, there will be pre-concert talks and educational activities as well as public concerts taking over the whole city.
Pablo Heras-Casado returns once more to the NHK Symphony Orchestra, after two consecutive visits in 2019 and 2020, to conduct an unusual pairing of Mahler’s Symphony No.5 with Ravel’s Suite Le tombeau de Couperin. Of this creative programming, Heras-Casado says: “It’s a satisfactory experience for the first half. There’s also a contrast, which is good, but with two composers not so far away in time. Le tombeau de Couperin Ravel is paying homage to 4 different friends who died in the First World War in which Ravel himself participated. These times are suitable to this… and the connection with Mahler 5 is there: the first movement is dominated by a funeral march. The whole symphony travels from grief to victory!”
The concert takes place on 31 October at NHK Hall.
On 6 November, Alexei Volodin returns to Japan for the first time since the pandemic to perform with Kyoto Symphony, under the baton of Pascal Rophé. He plays Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.3 in Kyoto Concert Hall.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet performs all 10 Beethoven Sonatas with Midori at Suntory Hall, Tokyo on 8, 9 and 10 November. The pair have previously performed the sonatas in Seattle, Washington, Shriver Hall, Orange County and Chicago and have recently recorded the sonatas for release on Warner Classics. The international digital release of the album will be available from 9 November.
Tomáš Netopil travels to Japan to embark upon a series of concerts conducting Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra he appears with regularly. They perform three programmes between 20 November and 2 December including Mahler’s Symphony No.1 in D major, Dvořák’s Symphony No.9 and Janáček Taras Bulba. Alongside these main symphonic works he is joined by Vitaly Yushmanov for Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.5 with Seiji Okamoto and Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.1 with Viktoria Mullova. Famed for his Mozart interpretations, the programme on 2 December in Suntory Hall will also feature Mozart Symphony No.25.
Heading into December, Artistic Director Paavo Järvi and Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen head to Japan for two concerts, followed by a further two concerts in South Korea. In Japan, they begin with an all Haydn programme at Tokyo’s Opera City Recital Hall on 8 December, including Symphony Nos.102, 96 and 104. The next day, they head to Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation with an all Beethoven programme; Coriolan Overture, Symphony No.8, and Symphony No.3. Journeying onto South Korea, the orchestra are joined by violinist Clara-Jumi Kang for two concerts at Seoul Arts Centre performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, alongside Haydn’s Symphony Nos.96 and 104.
Sayaka Shoji embarks on an eight date recital tour with Gianluca Cascioli (piano) from 1 December. Concert locations include Kyoto Aoyama Memorial Baroque Saal, Kitakyusyu Hibiki Hall, Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara, Aichi Prefectural Art Theater Concert Hall, Osaka Izumi Hall, Mihara Performing Arts Center Popolo, Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall — Yokohama Arts Foundation bringing the tour to a close at Suntory Hall, Tokyo. The tour coincides with the launch of their 5th recording on Deutsche Grammophon, which includes Mozart’s sonatas for violin and piano.
