Appreciation Concert honoring your Dispatch of the Rescue teams in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquakes “Our Thank you on the wing of the Music”

Event

Appreciation Concert honoring your Dispatch of the Rescue teams
in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquakes
“Our thank you on the wing of the Music”

5 months have passed since the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit East Japan. Many of the victims are still forced to live in restricted situations. Some of them are still frustrated by the slow progress towards recovery.

In the aftermath, Japan received the tremendous help and support of so many countries and organizations. The fact that so many people and governments gave their time and resources so generously to Japan in our time of need is something we will remain forever grateful for. That thought motivated our Committee to invite the representatives of those countries and organizations, and to express our appreciation in the universal language of music. And, we are now glad to announce the concert will be held as detailed below:

Concert Brief

Date
Tuesday, September 27th
The performance will begin at 7 p.m. followed by a reception at 8:30 p.m.
Venue
The International House of Japan (Iwasaki Koyata Memorial Hall)
Guests
Representatives of the countries and organizations that dispatched rescue and professional teams.
Performing
Artists
Program
Kreisler, Bach, Elgar, Massenet, Brahms, Gershwin and others
Host
The committee of “Appreciation Concert honoring yout Dispatch of the Rescue teams in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake”
Support
Support The Ministry of Foreign Affairs/JapanTourism Agency
Sponsored
The International House of Japan

Brochure is available here for download as PDF file

Motivation

In a process of the recovery from the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we Japanese must not forget the gratitude for the support and aid that we received from the international societies.　In the aftermath, we saw on TV and in the newspaper announcing the rescue teams and aids hastily arrived from all over the world. With that vision, more than a few of us were moved to tears. We still have a long way to go to full recovery, but, we would like to take this moment to express our gratitude for the countries, regions and international organizations that sent their rescue and professional teams to places where they were needed most. The thought motivated us to organize the classical concert titled “Our thank you on the wing of the Music.”

Yasuko Ohtani (Violin)

Yasuko Ohtani (Violin)

After graduating from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Yasuko Ohtani went on to complete the doctoral course at that university’s graduate school. She took first place in the All-Japan Student Music Concours, and second place in the Henryk Szeryng Japan Visit Commemorative Competition.

In 1988, Ohtani attracted a great deal of attention when she became the first female violinist in Japan ever to perform three violin concertos in one evening (Mendelssohn, Stravinsky, and Lalo). In the spring of 1990, Ohtani performed recitals in four European cities (Rome, Vienna, Berlin, Cologne) to great acclaim. In addition to recital and concert activities abroad, she gives recitals throughout Japan. She also performs with many orchestras, including the Slovakia Philharmonic, the Tokyo Philharmonic, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Tokyo City Philharmonic, the Sapporo and Kyushu Symphony Orchestras, and the Nagoya, Osaka, and Kansai Philharmonic Orchestras. Ohtani performs with numerous orchestras overseas as well, and she appears regularly in a variety of media including television (“Untitled Concert”). Her ambitious work in the fields of chamber and contemporary music has earned her a wide fan base. In addition, she has been very active in presenting concerts in hospitals and other facilities on a volunteer basis.
In 1995, Ohtani was appointed concert master of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, where she currently holds the position of solo concert master. Her solo recital at Suntory Hall (Main Hall) in 1999 was widely acclaimed. In 2005, Ohtani formed the string quartet Quattro Piaceri, whose high-quality performances have attracted much attention. In 2008, Ohtani once again gave a solo recital at Suntory Hall (Main Hall), which drew a full house and was highly praised. She is currently a professor at the Tokyo College of Music.

Her CDs, released on Sony and other labels, include “Fantaisie La Traviata” and “After the Dream.” June 2008 saw the release of “Yasuko Plays Chaconne,” which has been very well received.
Yasuko Otani plays a 1708 Pietro Guarneri violin.

Executive Members

  • Hideya Taida(Former Executive Vice President of the Japan Foundation)
  • Koji Takebe(Honorary Adviser, International Tourism Strategy Research Institute)
  • Mitsuhiro Usui(Managing Executive Officer of Development Bank of Japan)
  • Tetsuo Hiramatsu(Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd.)
  • Shigeya Kaburagi(Councilor of Kawasaki City)
  • Isao Shindo(Partner, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune Law Firm)
  • Yuta Ito(Former President of Victor Company of Japan, Limited, Chairman of Frontrunner Inc.)

Contact: Office of “Our thank you on the wing of the Music” Concert