Tokyo Symphony Orchestra

Profile
Last updated:June 4, 2021
Profile
Founded in 1946 as the Toho Symphony Orchestra, it was renamed the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in 1951, a name it retains to this day. It has received numerous awards, including the Minister of Education Award, Mainichi Art Award, Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Award, Suntory Music Award, and Kawasaki City Culture Award, notably for its premieres of contemporary music. In addition to hosting concerts at Suntory Hall, Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, and Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, the orchestra actively develops concerts and outreach programs in partnership with local governments such as Kawasaki City, Niigata City, and Hachioji City. Its "Children's Subscription Concerts" and "Orchestra for Ages 0 and Up" have garnered significant attention. Furthermore, it serves as the resident orchestra for the New National Theatre, Tokyo, performing opera and ballet productions annually. It has also conducted numerous international tours, performing 78 concerts in 58 cities to date.
Its current leadership includes Jonathan Nott as Music Director, Norichika Iimori as Principal Conductor, Kazuyoshi Akiyama and Hubert Soudant as Conductor Laureates, and Naoto Otomo as Honorary Guest Conductor. In 2016, to commemorate its 70th anniversary, the orchestra performed in five European countries, including a concert at the Musikverein in Vienna. In August 2018, it performed in Shanghai and Hangzhou to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China, thereby contributing to cultural exchange between the two nations.
Official Website: http://tokyosymphony.jp/