Press conference held for the 51st Kyushu performance

Prior to the February performance, conductor Yukio Fujioka, violinist Ryosuke Suo, and pianist Tomoki Sakata met in Fukuoka on December 9th to discuss their thoughts on the Kyushu performance and the pieces they will be performing.

This is Maestro Fujioka's fifth Kyushu performance! The changes that come with repeated performances are the highlight of the tour.

Conductor Yukio Fujioka. This is his fifth time performing in Kyushu. "I want to make this a concert that makes people think, 'Orchestral is great,' and 'Classical music is great.'"

"Even with this many performances, there's always something different that comes out each time. That's the best part of a concert where you can listen to it live. We'll be touring all over the country in such a short period of time, so I don't want people to say that yesterday's performance was better. That's why I'll do my best the next day and the day after that. I'm always giving it my all. I'm confident that the audience will enjoy it."

For the 51st concert, in Kagoshima, Kitakyushu, Omuta, and Fukuoka, I will be conducting Beethoven's Pastoral, which I find energizing. In Miyazaki, Oita, Kumamoto, Saga, and Nagasaki, I will be performing Stravinsky's The Firebird, with commentary from the maestro. Please look forward to it.

This will be Ryosuke Suo's first Kyushu performance, and he will perform Bruch's Violin Concerto in six locations: Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Oita, Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, and Fukuoka.

Tomoki Sakata, a pianist and composer, will also make his first appearance in the Japan Philharmonic's Kyushu concerts, performing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in Omuta, Saga, and Nagasaki.

My favorite Bruch Violin Concerto. A once-in-a-lifetime performance in each region.

"So many wonderful artists have performed as soloists in Kyushu, and I have always dreamed of one day being able to perform there myself, so when I heard about this opportunity I was both delighted and humbled.

This time I will be playing Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1. This is a popular piece that every violinist must study at least once, and although I have had the opportunity to play it many times, this will be the first time I have played it six times in such a short period of time, making it an extremely valuable experience. I will prepare to the best of my ability so that I can enjoy the performance with a fresh feeling and purely enjoy it, and I hope to be able to convey the charm of Bruch to the audience.

Rachmaninoff is one of my ideal musicians. His Concerto No. 2 will warm your heart!

"Rachmaninoff was himself an extremely accomplished pianist, composer, and conductor. I have great respect for Rachmaninoff as a musician and consider him one of my ideal musicians. In 2023, the anniversary of Rachmaninoff's death, we held a concert in which all five of his piano concertos were performed in one day. I am very much looking forward to performing this time in Kyushu under the direction of Maestro Fujioka and the members of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.

This January, I performed Grieg's Concerto with Maestro Fujioka and the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra conveyed a clear, airy quality despite the cold weather typical of the north, which was wonderful. Furthermore, the music reached a climax in the final movement, and it was like a flame, which warmed my heart as I played. There are some similarities with Rachmaninoff's music, so I'm looking forward to a wonderful performance."

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List of performances

https://japanphil.or.jp/blog/kyushu

Conductor: Yukio Fujioka

February 7, 2026 (Sat) 14:00 Hozan Hall (Kagoshima Prefectural Cultural Center)
Violin: Ryosuke Suho
Mozart: Overture to the Opera "The Magic Flute" K.620
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op.26
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" in F major, Op.68

February 8, 2026 (Sun) 14:00 Medikit Prefectural Cultural Center
Violin: Ryosuke Suho
Mozart: Overture to the Opera "The Magic Flute" K.620
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op.26
Stravinsky: The Firebird Ballet Suite (1919 version)

February 10, 2026 (Tue) 19:00 iichiko Cultural Center iichiko Grand Theatre
Violin: Ryosuke Suho
Mozart: Overture to the Opera "The Magic Flute" K.620
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op.26
Stravinsky: The Firebird (1919 version)

February 11, 2026 (Wed) 14:00 J:COM Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center
Violin: Ryosuke Suho
Mozart: Overture to the Opera "The Magic Flute" K.620
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op.26
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" in F major, Op.68

February 12, 2026 (Thu) 7:00 PM Kumamoto Prefectural Theater Concert Hall
Violin: Ryosuke Suho
Mozart: Overture to the Opera "The Magic Flute" K.620
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op.26
Stravinsky: The Firebird Ballet Suite (1919 version)

February 14, 2026 (Sat) 14:00 Omuta Cultural Center Main Hall
Piano: Tomoki Sakata
Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker ballet
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op.18
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" in F major, Op.68

February 15, 2026 (Sun) 14:00 ACROS Fukuoka Symphony Hall
Violin: Ryosuke Suho
Mozart: Overture to the Opera "The Magic Flute" K.620
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op.26
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" in F major, Op.68

February 17, 2026 (Tue) 19:00 Saga City Cultural Center
Piano: Tomoki Sakata
Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker ballet
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op.18
Stravinsky: The Firebird Ballet Suite (1919 version)

February 18, 2026 (Wed) 18:30 Benex Nagasaki Brick Hall
Piano: Tomoki Sakata
Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker ballet
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op.18
Stravinsky: The Firebird Ballet Suite (1919 version)

Kyushu Performance Documentary
https://tvuch.com/social/43

Press conference held for the 51st Kyushu performance

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