70th Anniversary Special Concert and Special Regular Concert
The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate its 70th anniversary in June 2026. With artistic and social values at the core, we have been able to foster a strong sense of resonance between the orchestra, its audiences, and its supporters. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your support over the years. It is with this gratitude that we present our 70th anniversary plans.
[70th Anniversary Special Concert] "Symphony of a Thousand"
Principal Conductor Kah-Chung Wong and the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra have received high praise for their Mahler works. Many performers and staff members have come together to work towards a common goal, and will perform Symphony No. 8, a work that symbolizes hope and unity, as a special concert commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the orchestra.
June 21, 2026 (Sunday) Starting time is being adjusted / 22nd (Monday) 19:00
Suntory Hall
Conductor: Kahchun Wong [Chief Conductor]
Soprano I (Sinful Woman): Aya Funakoshi
Soprano II (Confessor): Tamayo Yoshida
Soprano III (Our Lady of Glory): Rie Miyake
Alto I (The Samaritan Woman): Eriko Hanabusa
Alto II (Mary of Egypt): Ikuko Nakajima
Tenor (Doctor of the Venerable Mary): Naoki Miyazato
Baritone (Godfather of Ecstasy): Takashi Aoyama
Bass (Meditating Father): Hirotaka Kato
Choir: Tokyo College of Music, Japan Philharmonic Association Choir, Musashino Choir, Suginami Children's Choir
Mahler: Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" in E-flat major
Price (tax included) SS ¥15,000 S ¥12,000 A ¥10,000 B ¥8,500 Ys (under 25 years old) ¥5,000
General release: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
[70th Anniversary Special Regular Concert]
We will be celebrating 70 years with the conductors who have worked alongside the Japan Philharmonic up to now. Not only will current Principal Conductor Kah-Chung Wong, Honorary Conductor Laureate Kobayashi Kenichiro, and Friend of the JPO [Artistic Advisor] Hirokami Junichi be joined by Neeme Järvi, who will be returning as Principal Guest Conductor for the first time in 20 years. We will also be joined by Lazarev, returning for the first time in four years, former Principal Conductor Inkinen, and Kazuki Yamada, who maintains a special connection with the Japan Philharmonic even after leaving his post.
See the concert lineup here.
70th Anniversary Special Regular Concert PDF
[Logo mark]
Up until now, we have continued to deliver music to all kinds of people, with artistry and social responsibility as the two pillars of our work, while cherishing a culture of warmth and closeness to people. The deep resonance that has been cultivated between the orchestra, its audiences, and its supporters, as well as the many memorable moments we have shared together, are our most precious assets.
As we mark our 70th anniversary, we are determined to transform this energy of "resonance" into an even hotter wave and spread it to our audience and to every corner of society. With our new motto, "Turn resonance into a hot wave," and a new logo mark that embodies this sentiment, designed using the initials JPO of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, overlapping musical staves, the Japan Philharmonic is moving forward toward a new future.
70th Anniversary Special Concert and Special Regular Concert Press Conference Report
