Events
The 79th ACA National Arts Festival 2024
We are delighted to announce the details of Asia Orchestra Week 2024 officially! For over 20 years, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, has hosted the AOW as part of its ACA National Arts Festival, and more than 60 orchestras from 16 countries performed in the event. This year is our first time to host in Kyoto. We are excited to welcome Singapore Symphony Orchestra led by Hans Graf, Music Director, from abroad with their colorful programs, including Ravel’s ‘Piano Concerto in G major’ with piano by Hélène Grimaud, and Singaporean composer Koh Cheng Jin’s ‘Luciola singapura’. The City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, the host orchestra of AOW2024, with conductor Otomo Naoto, will present works by Ifukube Akira (his ‘Symphonic Fantasia No. 1’ features iconic Godzilla’s theme) and Miyagi Michio = Ikebe Shin-ichiro’s ‘Haru no Umi (The Sea in Springtime) for Orchestra’ with the Koto artist LEO joined. LEO’s composition, ‘Matsukaze’, will also give a Japanese touch to the concert.
Please join us and celebrate this special event in Kyoto! Click the banner image above to check the latest information on AOW 2024.
Publications
Japanese Professional Orchestras Yearbook
Program of Subscription Concerts (Full Members, 1 April 2021 - 31 March 2022)
Program of Subscription Concerts (Full Members, 1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021）
Program of Subscription Concerts (Full Members, 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020)
*The backnumbers (2008～2022) of the Yearbook can be accessed from here.
Orchestras Result List
*You can check analistic reports of all member orchestras here.
AJSO News '40 Orchestras' (JAPANESE)
We publish a news magazine every four mounth annualy. Access the backnumbers online from here .
Impacts Survay of Orchestral Performances in Educational Field
- Orchestra Performances for Children: Impact survey (JAPANESE)
- Visualizing the Power of Music－The Making of this Pamphlet (ENGLISH)
Member Orchestras
Full Members（27）
Sapporo Symphony Orchestra
Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra
Yamagata Symphony Orchestra
Gunma Symphony Orchestra
NHK Symphony Orchestra,Tokyo
New Japan Philharmonic
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra
Mt. Fuji Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa
Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra
Chubu Philharmonic Orchestra Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra
City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra
Osaka Symphony Orchestra
Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra
Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra
Japan Century Symphony Orchestra
Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra
Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra
Kyushu Symphony Orchestra
Associate Members（13）
Chiba Symphony Orchestra
The Geidai Philharmonia Orchestra, Tokyo
Tokyo Universal Philharmonic Orchestra
Aichi Chamber Orchestra
Kyoto Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
Amabile Philharmonic Orchestra
The College Operahouse Orchestra
Telemann Chamber Orchestra
Kobe City Chamber Orchestra
Nara Philharmonic Orchestra
Okayama Philharmonic Orchestra
Seto Philharmonic Orchestra
Nagasaki OMURA Chamber Ensemble
Find Japanese Symphony Orchestra valuable concerts:
About Us - Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras
Objectives
The objectives of the Association are to encourage cooperation among Japanese professional orchestras, to conduct researches and studies on orchestra management, to provide training for those who are associated with orchestral music, and to promote and popularize the orchestral music through international exchange in order to contribute to the development of Japanese musical culture.
Activities
The Association shall conduct the following activities to achieve the objectives:
1. Conducting research and studies on professional orchestra management.
2. Presenting concerts of orchestral music and related lectures.
3. Promoting orchestral music to young people.
4. Offering international exchanges on orchestral music.
5. Taking part in other activities necessary to achieve the objectives.
* Excerpts from the bylaws of the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras
History
The history of symphonic orchestral culture in Japan goes back to the early 20th century, around the era of what we categorize as ‘Meiji’ when the nation started to immerse itself in Western culture. Thanks to the hardworking forerunners who inherited this newborn culture with their tremendous efforts, we now celebrate having 40 professional orchestras in Japan, which annually provide more than 3,900 concerts.
Although the cultural growth was interrupted by the disastrous events of World War II, once the country regained its composure, Japan was ready for the time to flourish as a cultural nation. Several professional orchestras were born one after the other throughout the country; the Agency for Cultural Affairs was established anew under the Ministry of Education, Science Sports and Culture, and they began supporting the activities of those professional orchestras. It was a natural phenomenon to see the orchestras in Tokyo and elsewhere come into operation to give concerts.
Tokyo Orchestra Club was formed in 1964 and reorganized in 1968 as the Japanese Symphony Orchestras Liaison Conference. The organization primarily offered opportunities to the administration staff working at orchestras in the Tokyo area to connect and share their ideas on various issues they faced. As for the orchestras situated outside of Tokyo, the Association of Regional Orchestras was formed in 1972. The relationship between these two institutions was deepened, and the organization of the National Orchestral Association was unanimously approved in a joint meeting in 1989. In July 1990, the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras (AJSO) was formed as a private organization by NAGAOKA Minoru as Chairman of the Board and the officials from 18 orchestras as Directors.
AJSO conducts research and studies on orchestral administration, offers education for people associated with symphonic orchestral music, provides opportunities for international exchange, and arranges other highly public programs. Recognizing the achievements in such activities, the Association was approved as an aggregate corporation by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (where the Agency for Cultural Affairs belongs) on January 31, 1995. We also host seminars on arts management, including the first-ever international conference, “Orchestra Summit in Japan”, for orchestral administrators based in Asia in November 1997. We also presented a series of concerts called “Evening of Contemporary Orchestral Masterpieces of Japan” every year between 2000 and 2010. Since 2002, AJSO has been assigned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to produce “Asia Orchestra Week”, where we invite acclaimed orchestras from the Asia-Pacific region and provide concerts, including the works by Asian composers.
AJSO articulates the importance of classical music in modern society and actively continues to work for the genre’s development and expansion in Japan.
Membership
The Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras has a membership of 38 orchestras under either the “Full Member” or “Associate Member” categories.
Full Member
Full membership is open to those who meet all conditions below:
- A professional orchestra registers itself as either a public interest incorporated foundation, public interest incorporated association, general incorporated foundation, general incorporated association, approved corporation engaging in specified non-profit activities, corporation engaging in specified non-profit activities, incorporated educational institution, or any organization whose business activities are for public interest purposes.
- An orchestra with full instrumentation of double or more winds and brass pay its musicians a fixed salary.
- An orchestra gives ten or more self-produced concerts annually, including five or more subscription concerts.
- An orchestra equipped with an administrative body overseeing management.
- An orchestra with a recommendation by the orchestra of Full membership.
The steering committee and the board of directors will see if the orchestra fulfills the above requirements and if its achievement is suitable for full membership. The final decision is made at the general meeting.
Associate Member
Associate membership is open to those who meet all conditions below:
- An ensemble group with at least five Pulte strings, one flute, one oboe, one clarinet, one bassoon, one French horn, one trumpet, and one percussion.
- A professional orchestra that has existed for over two years as professional and gives more than 30 concerts annually, including subscription concerts.
- An orchestra employs key musicians who do not work at the other orchestras as employees.
- An orchestra with full instrumentation of double or more winds and brass. 50% or more musicians must be permanent employees.
- An orchestra with an administrative body includes a librarian(s) and a stage manager(s).
The steering committee and the board of directors will see if the orchestra fulfills the above requirements. The final decision is made at the general meeting.
Past Events
Japan Foundation Supporting orchestras in ASEAN countries “Asia in Resonance 2019” related Round-table Discussion
<Finished>
DATE：June 1st, 2019, from 14:00 to 16:00
VENUE：Japan Foundation Headquarters Main Building 2F “SAKURA”
Hosted by the Japan Foundation, with the cooperation of Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras
Asia Pacific Region Orchestras Summit
<Finished>
DATE : October 5th - 7th , 2016
VENUE : Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall