Suntory Hall to host Wiener Philharmoniker Week

Suntory Hall to host Wiener Philharmoniker Week in Japan from 12 – 17 November.
Founded in 1842, the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic) has been closely associated with the rich musical history and tradition of Vienna, the capital city of music, and it continues to enchant audiences all over the world with its unique and incomparable sound. 

Suntory Hall has been hosting Wiener Philharmoniker Week in Japan since 1999, giving the Japanese audiences a regular opportunity to enjoy this renowned orchestra, and this year is its 21st edition. At the helm will be Andris Nelsons, who is said to be “the busiest conductor in the world” and is regularly invited by top orchestras. Since their first collaboration in 2010, Nelsons and the Wiener Philharmoniker have built a trusting relationship through numerous performances, and they have performed together at iconic events such as the New Year’s Concert in 2020 and the Summer Night Concert on the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace in 2022 and 2024. 

The three programmes include orchestral masterpieces by Mahler, Shostakovich, Dvořák and Richard Strauss. This year’s soloists are pianist Yefim Bronfman, who has won many awards in the U.S. and is constantly in demand on the international stage, and MIDORI, one of the world’s leading violinists who also dedicates herself to educating the next generation. Bronfman is the soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and MIDORI will play Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1. 

Furthermore, based on the common wish of the Wiener Philharmoniker and Suntory Hall for the “fruitful development of music culture,” a free open rehearsal (13 November), a master class by solo flute of Wiener Philharmoniker Karl-Heinz Schütz (14 November), and a school programme (16 November) will be held. Also, Youth tickets will be available for the concert on 16 November. 

Over the years, Wiener Philharmoniker has built close ties with Japan, and after the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011, the orchestra offered a donation of one million euros to help people recover from the disaster. The Suntory Group matched the amount and set up The Vienna Philharmonic and Suntory Music Aid Fund, which continues to provide support through music in the Tohoku region as well as in Kumamoto. Support programmes for the affected areas will take place again this year. 

Suntory Hall Concerts: Dates and Programmes: 

12 November, 7pm
Wiener Philharmoniker
Andris Nelsons, Conductor
MIDORI, Violin
Serge Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.1 in D major, Op. 19
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor 

13 November, 7pm
Wiener Philharmoniker
Andris Nelsons, Conductor
Yefim Brofman, Piano
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 

16 November, 4pm
Wiener Philharmoniker
Andris Nelsons, Conductor
Modest Petrovich Musorgsky (arr. Dmitry Shostakovich): Khovanshchina, Prelude to Act 1, Dawn on the Moscow River
Dmitry Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 in E-flat Major, Op. 70
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70 (B 141) 

17 November, 4pm
Wiener Philharmoniker
Andris Nelsons, Conductor
Yefim Brofman, Piano
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40 

Text by Nahoko Gotoh 

Full listings of the Wiener Philharmoniker Week in Japan 2024 can be found at the following:
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/article/detail/001477.html 

For further information and press photos, please contact:
suntoryhall-pr@suntory.co.jp
Public Relations, Suntory Hall 

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