Drawing upon the energy and enthusiasm of British guest conductor Rumon Gamba, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) thrilled the Suntory Hall audience during their last concert there: Before intermission, four beautifully harmonized French horns featured on Robert Schumann's Konzertstuck; after, the orchestra created a surround sound effect by fully using the concert hall for Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird" ballet music, sending various musicians at key times to play from the mezzanine and above the stage by the pipe organ. For their last Suntory Hall subscription series concert of the 2009-2010 season (the 2010-2011 season begins next month), the TSO's Dutch music director, Hubert Soudant, will return to the podium. Guest violinist Valeriy Sokolov of Ukraine will feature on Johannes Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major while the March 27 program ends with Schumann's Symphony No. 4.
The concert begins at 6 p.m. and tickets start from ¥2,000. For tickets or more information, call the Tokyo Symphony Ticket Center at (044) 520-1511 or visit www.tokyosymphony.com.
March 31 has also been designated by the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras as "Orchestra Day," featuring performances across Japan and special performances at NHK Hall in Tokyo.
The TSO, a member of the association, will play the Fifth Anniversary MUZA Finale Concert with Soudant conducting Ludwig van Beethoven, including symphonies No. 4 and No. 5, at MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall on March 31. The first concert at the hall was on July 1, 2004, and performed by the TSO, which has a franchise agreement with Kawasaki City, the owners of the venue.
The show begins at 7 p.m. and tickets start from ¥5,000. Visit www.kawasaki-sym-hall.jp for more information. For more information on Orchestra Day, visit www.orchestra.or.jp