Suntory Hall Summer Festival 2026

This year’s Suntory Hall Summer Festival takes place on 22 – 30 Aug 2026. Launched in 1987, this festival of contemporary music in Tokyo presents the cutting-edge music of our age, bringing together leading musicians to perform music that is full of free and adventurous spirit.  

This year’s Summer Festival is a special edition marking the 40th anniversary of Suntory Hall. In addition to the existing Theme Composer: Luca Francesconi and The Competition of Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition programmes, there are two special concerts — Suntory Hall 40th Anniversary Programme Weaving Time, Weaving Resonance and the launch of Ensemble Go for it. 

Programme Overview  

Theme Composer: Luca Francesconi (Suntory Hall International Programme for Music Composition No. 48)  

The Theme Composer series presents a portrait of a leading international composer, and commissions him/her a new orchestral work that is premiered during the festival. This year’s theme composer is Luca Francesconi (b. 1956), Italian composer who studied composition with Stockhausen and Berio as well as jazz at Berklee College of Music.  

The two concerts and a composition workshop will showcase his meticulously crafted music and his unique artistic vision inspired by diverse cultures. Conducting the Orchestra Portrait concert is Kazushi Ono, who has been performing Francesconi’s music since his time as Music Director at La Monnaie in Brussels, during which he forged a deep bond with the composer. The soloist in the Violin Concerto Duende – The Dark Notes is Leila Josefowicz, for whom it was written. The concert also includes the world premiere of Francesconi’s new work commissioned by Suntory Hall on 29 Aug. The Chamber Music Portrait offers an overview of his compositions for various chamber forces (including electronics) composed over the past 40 years on 23 Aug.  

Francesconi will also give a Music Composition Workshop for young composers, preceded by a Talk Session with Artistic Director Toshio Hosokawa on 25 Aug.  

Read more about the International Program for Music Composition here: 
http://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/global/composers/numano.html  

The 36th Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition on 30 Aug 

This award, founded in 1990, is presented to the most notable orchestral work by a Japanese composer premiered during the previous year (Jan- Dec 2025). Following the performance of the three nominated works, the jury (Malika Kishino / Yu Kuwabara / Somei Sato) will conduct the deliberations on stage chaired by musicologist Seiji Choki. This year, orchestral works by Nozomu Kaneda, Yuki Nakahashi, and Tetsuya Yamamoto are nominated, which will be performed by the New Japan Philharmonic conducted by Kanako Abe. There will also be an opportunity for the public to vote for their favorite piece.  

The programme will open with the world premiere of the commissioned work, Odorant Receptors for 2 Keyboards and Orchestra by Kento Ishikawa, the winner of the 2024 award.  

1. Suntory Hall 40th Anniversary Programme Weaving Time, Weaving Resonance 

Weaving Time, Weaving Resonance is a one-night-only programme marking the 40th anniversary of Suntory Hall which has produced “memories of sound”. The concert brings together musicians at the forefront of the international music scene — including Airi Sunada (soprano), Aimi Kobayashi (piano), Tatsuki Narita and Mayuko Ishigami (violin) — who will weave new sounds at Suntory Hall, with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ryusuke Numajiri.   

2. Ensemble “Go for it”

Suntory Hall is launching a new contemporary group, Ensemble “Go for it,” with the aim of making contemporary music something that can be enjoyed as part of everyday life. The inaugural concert shares diverse perspectives and fresh insights into musical masterpieces on 22 Aug.  

Full listings of the Summer Festival 2026 can be found at the following: 
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/articles/detail/139159.html  

Text by Nahoko Gotoh 

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

Website: http://suntory.jp/HALL-e/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suntoryhall/
X: https://x.com/SuntoryHallE