Promising Musicians with Orchestra 2025

Four young musicians each showcase the fruits of
their overseas studies by playing a concerto.

Don’t miss this opportunity to listen to the
performances of these talents who are entrusted with the music world’s future.

This is a one-night concert.

Honda Himawari, Organ

Bossi：
Concerto for Organ in A minor, Op.100

“The Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs” for the year of 2022/ Studied in Strasbourg, France

本田ひまわり — With teacher, Mr. Benjamin-Joseph Steens

Message:

In Alsace, the region having the largest number of pipe organs in France, I was able to play numerous organs built in the 18th and 19th centuries deepening my understanding of each musical style. Through my performance of Bossi’s concerto, I hope the audience will enjoy the sublime sound peculiar to the organ, the sonorously songful melodies and the multicolor tones produced by different organ stops.

Profile:

Honda graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts (majoring in organ) winning the Doseikai Award and completed her master’s course there. In 2019, she left for France to be trained at the Conservatory of Strasbourg where she graduated from the Department of Organ in 2022 and the Department of Early Music in 2024 obtaining respectively the highest score with a unanimous decision of the jury. She is recipient of the prestigious scholarship “The Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs” for the year of 2022. She studied organ under Takeda Yuri, Tokuoka Megumi, Johann Vexo, Martin Gester, Benjamin-Joseph Steens, Francis Jacob, clavichord under Benjamin-Joseph Steens, and harpsichord under Aline Zylberajch.

Harada Rina, Piano

Mozart：
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K.488

“The Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs” for the year of 2023/ Studies in Berlin, Germany

At the 26th Artur Schnabel Piano Competition hosted in Berlin

Message:

Through my experience in Berlin, I truly felt that the expression of emotions and images has illimitable possibilities and infinite freedom. A masterpiece, the Piano Concerto No. 23 is a splendid harmony of flowing brilliance and delicate beauty, both characteristic of Mozart’s music. The second movement, in particular, fascinates me with its internal, melancholic atmosphere. I hope the audience will enjoy Mozart’s world full of colors through my performance.

Profile:

Harada studied at the Kyoto Municipal Horikawa Music High School, before graduating from the Department of Instrumental Music at the Tokyo University of the Arts and completed her master’s course there. She is awarded the prestigious scholarship “The Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs” for the year of 2023. Currently, she has studied at the Piano Master Soloist course of the Berlin University of the Arts. Former student of Tatsumi Chisato, Doi Tomoko and Fukui Naoko, Harada has been trained at present by Sakai Chiharu and Gottlieb Wallisch. Harada is the winner of the 2nd prize at the 15th Tokyo Music Competition (Piano Section) as well as the 2nd prize (no 1st prize awarded) at the 26th Artur Schnabel Piano Competition, and the semi-finalist at the 19th International Schumann Competition (Piano Section).

Aoshima Shuhei, Piano

Prokofiev：
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op.26

“The Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs” for the year of 2022/ Studies in Paris, France

aoshima — At the National Conservatory of Paris

Message:

While studying in Paris, I discovered a good deal especially regarding how to interpret music scores. The Piano Concerto No. 3 is filled with humor typical of Prokofiev found in, for example, its unique rhythms and sudden key changes. I wish, through my performance, the audience will sense the respective tone colors of piano and orchestra, but also the energy produced when the two parts get blended to explode.

Profile:

Aoshima studied at the Music High School of the Tokyo University of the Arts and continued there as a university student. After graduating, he left for France. He is currently enrolled at the Piano, Accompaniment and Écriture Departments of the National Conservatory of Paris. He studied piano under Nakamura Nobuko, Goto Yasutaka, Kitajima Kimihiko, Yokoyama Yukio, Aoyagi Susumu, accompaniment under Jean-Marie Cottet, and harmony under Yves Henry. At present, Aoshima has received piano lessons from Frank Braley and Ueda Haruko. Aoshima is recipient of the prestigious scholarship “The Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs” for the year of 2022. He won the 2nd prize, the Best Performance of the Commissioned Piece Award and the Special Award at the 5th Takamatsu International Piano Competition, and the 6th prize and the Zen-On Award at the 2nd Shigeru Kawai International Piano Competition.

Yamane Futo, Cello

Schumann：
Cello Concerto in A minor, Op.129

“The Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs” for the year of 2022/ Studied in Brussels, Belgium

yamane — With teacher, Mr. Alain Gervreau

Message:

In Belgium I researched historically informed performance from Romantic to Modern eras, so I have been mostly involved in musical projects on period instruments. Through my performance of Schumann’s A-minor Concerto which represents the Romantic repertoire for cello, I hope the entire audience will be delightfully surprised by the world of “19th-century early music” that invites you to search for another aspect of musical pieces.

Profile:

Yamane is a player of historical cello, drawing on the fruits of his aesthetic study of how musical pieces were performed at the time when they were composed. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts winning the Ataka Award and the Acanthus Award before completing his master’s course at the Department of HIPP (Historically Informed Performance Practice) of the Royal Conservatory of Scotland. He then completed his postgraduate course at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels as a recipient of the prestigious scholarship “The Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs” for the year of 2022. Yamane studied cello under Kamizuka Yukiyo, Kamizuka Kenichi, Kono Fumiaki, Suzuki Hidemi, David Watkin, Alain Gervreau, and conducting under René Gulikers. Yamane won the 32nd Aoyama Music Award as a promising new face.

Takaseki Ken, conductor

©K.Miura

Takaseki Ken, Conductor

Profile:

Takaseki Ken made many guest performances both in Japan and overseas, and was acclaimed by audiences and musicians alike for his conducting of subscription concerts by the St.Petersburg Philharmonic in 2013 and 2017. He has earned the profound trust of artists. At the Pierre Boulez Kyoto Prize Workshop in 2009, for example, he received high praise from Pierre Boulez and such world-renowned soloists as Mischa Maisky, Itzhak Perlman, Gidon Kremer, Mikhail Pletnev and in particular Martha Argerich, for his performances over the course of three concerts including the Japan premiere of a work by Rondion Schedrin. In March 2019, he conducted Dan Ikuma’s opera “Yuzuru” at Vladivostok and St. Petersburg, and in April 2021, he conducted the New National Theatre, Tokyo Opera production, Stravinsky’s “Le Rossignol” and Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta”. Held important positions in major orchestras, and currently Principal Conductor of the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, Chief Conductor of the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Mt. Fuji Philharmonic Orchestra. He won the Karajan Competition in Japan in 1977, the Hans Swarowsky Competition in 1984, Watanabe Akeo Foundation Music Award in 1996, Saito Hideo Memorial Fund Award in 2011 and Suntory Music Award in 2018. X (twitter) @KenTakaseki

Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra

©K.Miura

Tokyo City
Philharmonic Orchestra

Profile:

In 1975 Maestro TSUTSUMI Shunsaku and a group of young talented musicians founded the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra (TCPO), as a self-governing orchestra. TCPO has a Principal Conductor with TASASEKI Ken and a Principal Guest Conductor with FUJIOKA Sachio. Now TCPO gives many concerts every year with subscription concerts, operas and ballets, recording of TV. In 1994, TCPO entered into a co-operation with Koto-ward. In May 2021, a special highlight concert of 《Der Ring des Nibelungen》was held to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of Honorary Conductor Laureate IIMORI Taijiro. TCPO was Honored with the Prize of the 30th Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Music Award the《Der Ring des Nibelungen》performing in 2022 August.

Bossi：Concerto for Organ in A minor, Op.100

Honda Himawari, Organ
Mozart：Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K.488

Harada Rina, Piano
Prokofiev：Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op.26

Aoshima Shuhei, Piano
Schumann：Cello concerto in A minor, Op.129

Yamane Futo, Cello

Same-day ticket: Feb. 27th 18:00 on sale at the venue
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*Children aged at and over elementary school level can enter the concert.

*Due to unavoidable circumstances,
the program and performers may be subject to change.

VENUE: Tokyo Opera City
concert hall

ADDRESS: 3-20-2 Nishi-shinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-1403

ACCESS: Directly connected to the East
Exit of the ‘Hatsudai’
Station on the Keio New Line.
‘Hatsudai’ Station is only one stop from
‘Shinjuku’ Station.

Google map

Organizer：: Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras

Support：: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan