The 16th Goto Shinpei Award Ceremony was held
The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra was awarded the 16th Goto Shinpei Award, and the award ceremony was held on Tuesday, July 5th at Za Koenji in Suginami Ward.
About the award: Received the 16th Goto Shinpei Award - The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's activities for "Music for Disaster Areas" were highly praised.
https://japanphil.or.jp/japanphil_wp/orchestra/news/25082/
On the day, six members of the selection committee from the Goto Shinpei Society took to the stage, along with Japan Philharmonic Chairman Toshikuni Hirai. They were presented with the Goto Shinpei Award, a commemorative plaque, and the stained glass "Symphony of Prayer."
In receiving the award, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra was recognized for its ongoing "Music for Disaster Areas" activities in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which it said "continue to echo Goto Shinpei's spirit of service and his lofty aspirations for human resource development." In response to this, in his award speech, Chairman Hirai spoke about the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's activities and philosophy in the disaster-stricken areas, introducing footage and photographs from that time, as well as words from the victims and musicians who performed there.
Members who visited the area for the first time in April 2011 after the earthquake also attended the event and shared the joy of receiving the award.
Once again, I am deeply grateful to receive this noble award, which was created in the footsteps of Goto Shinpei, and for highlighting the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's long-standing support activities for the disaster-stricken areas. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the musicians who promoted these activities, everyone who supported us, the people I met in the affected areas, and those who are working hard to help with the reconstruction.
Building on this award, the Japan Philharmonic will continue its efforts in the coastal areas of the Tohoku region. Furthermore, through the "Tohoku Dream Project," the orchestra hopes to support the future of children and the region by widely introducing the musical and cultural activities undertaken by children in local communities and schools throughout the Tohoku region.
We hope for your continued understanding and cooperation in the Japan Philharmonic's social contribution efforts.
◇Newspaper article
Mainichi Newspapers https://mainichi.jp/articles/20220708/ddl/k13/040/012000c(Paid article)
◇Number of visits so far
313 times (as of July 1, 2022)
◇This year's visit
June 21-23, 2022 Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture String Quartet
June 26, 2022 Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture String Quartet
July 6, 2022 Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture Choir Instruction and Workshop
August 12, 2022 Iwate Prefectural Civic Center Large Hall "Fun Orchestra in Iwate"
From autumn onwards, they plan to visit Minamisoma City and Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture, Miyako City in Iwate Prefecture, and other locations.
In addition, a business report meeting is planned for Tokyo at the end of the fiscal year.
◇Activity record
"Music for Disaster-stricken Areas" Part 1 (April 2011~) https://youtu.be/iUApdXHZRlo
"Music for the Disaster-stricken Areas" Tohoku Dream Project https://youtu.be/zfm7urQqdf0
Disaster Area Report https://japanphil.or.jp/japanphil_wp/orchestra/news/4727
◇About the Goto Shinpei Award (from the award press release)
16th (2022) Goto Shinpei Award Winners Announced
【Effect】
During the process of Japan's modernization, Goto Shinpei conceived large-scale policies on a time and space scale that looked ahead a hundred years, and contributed to the development of the region and the nation while nurturing people. This award selects and honors once a year a person, both in Japan and abroad, who, like Goto Shinpei, has contemplated the very nature of civilization and achieved achievements that have given it a new direction.
【Reason for Winning】
In the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in 2011, various forms of medical and welfare support have been extended from all over the country in an effort to rebuild. In response to this, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra has been working on the "Music for the Disaster Areas" project since immediately after the disaster, aiming to support "spiritual recovery," and has continued to perform in the affected areas. In particular, the exchanges between orchestra members and local youth have fostered "hope for the future" among the younger generation. These performances, which have been held more than 300 times in 11 years and will continue into the future, are in line with Goto Shinpei's spirit of service and high aspirations for human resource development, and we therefore present this award to them.
■Organizer: Goto Shinpei Association ■Supporter: Yomiuri Shimbun
◇ Souvenirs
■ Commemorative Award Plaque
■ Stained Glass "Symphony of Prayer"
"In order to commemorate the heartwarming and wide-ranging activities of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, I wanted to express the "light" and "prayer" that music possesses in stained glass. Using a "cedar" tree, a large tree that grows in the northern land, as the base, I tried to express the diverse colors of music spreading throughout the world, enveloped in the sounds of the symphony spun by each performer."
Produced by: Tetsuya Kishi (stained glass artist)
Art direction + pedestal production: Junichi Uchida (architect and designer)
Concept + Producer: Yoshio Fujiwara (Secretary General of the Goto Shinpei Association)
