On Saturday, June 22nd, we held a concert commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Akio Watanabe, in the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Akio Watanabe (1919-1990), the founding conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and a man who made a significant contribution to the development of orchestral culture in Japan. June 22nd marks the anniversary of his death and also the anniversary of the founding of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.
On this special day, under the baton of his last beloved pupil, Yukio Fujioka, the Watanabe family played piano, and the Japan Philharmonic Association Chorus performed "Finlandia," which could be considered the theme song of the Japan Philharmonic; Gershwin's Piano Concerto, which was performed at the first regular concert (1957); and works by Sibelius, Mahler, and Japanese composers, whose music Watanabe had worked hard to popularize.

The first part of the performance was attended by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, who were close friends of the Emperor during his lifetime.
The Emperor Emerita attended a concert conducted by Watanabe Akio while he was a student at Gakushuin Junior High School. Her Majesty the Empress Emerita has had ties to the Watanabe family since her university days, and has attended the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's first regular concert as a member.

Throughout the two and a half hour program, we looked back on his great achievements, and, with photographs of Watanabe Akio displayed on stage, both the audience and those on stage were reminded of the enormous impact he had on the Japanese music industry.

1919, the year Watanabe Akio was born, was also the year diplomatic relations between Japan and Finland were established. This concert was also one of the performances commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and was a spectacular event, with the Finnish ambassador to Japan and his wife in attendance.
Many "Ake Sensei fans" also stopped in front of the photographs and materials on display at the venue.