The (JPO) is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

based in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, with administrative offices in

Suginami is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself as Suginami City in English. As of June 1, 2022, Suginami has an estimated population of 588,354 and a population density of 17,274 pe ...

History

The orchestra was established on June 22, 1956, as the exclusive subsidiary orchestra under the

Nippon Cultural Broadcasting is a Japanese radio station in Tokyo which broadcasts to the Kanto area. It is one of the two flagship radio stations of National Radio Network (NRN) (the other station is ) and is a member of the Fujisankei Communications Group. History The ...

Akeo Watanabe was a Japanese symphonic conductor, known for his recordings of the works of Jean Sibelius. Watanabe was born in 1919 to a Japanese father and Finnish mother. He studied violin and conducted at the Tokyo Music School and the Juilliard School of ...

served the first chief conductor of the orchestra, from 1950 to 1968, with the titles of music director, permanent conductor, and executive director. Watanabe recorded the symphonies of

Jean Sibelius Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his countr ...

with the orchestra twice, first in the 1960s for Nippon Columbia Company, and second for Denon, in 1981. In 1958, the orchestra gave the first Japanese performance of Debussy's '' Pelleas and Melisande'', conducted by

Jean Fournet Jean Fournet (14 April 1913 – 3 November 2008) was a French flautist and conducting, conductor. Biography Fournet was born in Rouen in 1913. His father was a flutist who gave him some instruction on the flute and music theory. Fournet was t ...

. In 1959, the orchestra made a subsidiary contract with

Fuji Television JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...

. Between 1961 and 1989, the orchestra performed regular concerts in the ''Tokyo Bunka Kaikan'' hall. Its first overseas tour took place in 1964 in Canada and America. In March 1972, the contracts with Nippon Cultural Broadcasting and Fuji Television subsidiary ended, and the orchestra foundation was dissolved.

Seiji Ozawa was a Japanese conductor known internationally for his work as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and especially the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), where he served from 1973 for 29 years. After cond ...

was the principal conductor and the music adviser at the time. One-third of those original members left to form the

New Japan Philharmonic The is a symphony orchestra based in Tokyo, Japan. History It was founded in 1972 with Seiji Ozawa as honorary conductor laureate. The Philharmonic's primary concert venue is the Sumida Triphony Hall. From 2003 to 2013 its music director ...

in 1972, led by Ozawa, with Naozumi Yamamoto as conductor and secretary-general. The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra Association was subsequently founded in 1973, newly formed as a self-organized orchestra. Václav Smetáček was appointed as a guest conductor. The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra Association chorus was formed end of the year. The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra Association once again became a foundation in 1985. The orchestra formed a regular relationship with Suginami City in July 1994. The orchestra also established a residency in Yokohama at the Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall in 1998. The Suginami Public Hall was re-opened, after remodeling, in June 2006, which the orchestra uses for rehearsals and other events. The orchestra reorganised its financial basis in 2013, transitioning to a publicly held foundation basis. Alexander Lazarev was principal conductor of the orchestra from 2008 to 2016, and now has the title of conductor laureate with the orchestra.

Pietari Inkinen Pietari Inkinen (born 29 April 1980) is a Finnish violinist and conductor. Biography Inkinen was born in Kouvola, Finland, and began violin and piano studies at the age of 4. As a youth, he also performed in a rock band. He attended the Sibe ...

was principal guest conductor from 2009 to 2016. In April 2015, the orchestra announced the appointment of Inkinen as its new chief conductor, effective in 2016, with an initial contract of 3 years. Other conductors with whom the orchestra has a regular working relationship include

Neeme Järvi Neeme Järvi (; born 7 June 1937) is an Estonian Americans, Estonian American conductor. Early life Järvi was born in Tallinn. He initially studied music there, and later in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevge ...

, who has served as principal guest conductor of the orchestra, and

James Loughran James Loughran (30 June 1931 – 19 June 2024) was a Scottish conductor, the first British conductor to be appointed chief of a major German orchestra. Early life Educated at St Aloysius' College in Glasgow, Loughran conducted at school and ...

, who was appointed as honorary conductor in November 2006. In 2016,

was appointed chief conductor. The most recent extension of Inkinen's JPO contract, announced in May 2021, is through August 2023. Inkinen stood down as chief conductor of the JPO in August 2023. In March 2021,

Kahchun Wong Wong Kah Chun (; born 24 June 1986), also known as Kahchun Wong, is a Singaporean conductor. Biography Wong was born in 1986 to Victor Wong, a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) warrant officer, and Yeo Huay Lan, a childcare teacher. His family lived ...

first guest-conducted the JPO. In August 2021, the JPO appointed Wong as its principal guest conductor, effective September 2021, with an initial contract of 2 years. In May 2022, the JPO announced the appointment of Wong as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2023-2024 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.

Conductors (partial list)

(1950–1968; music director) *

Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi is a Japanese conductor and composer. In Japan he is known among his fans as “Kobaken.” Biography Born in Iwaki, Fukushima, Kobayashi's father was a high school music teacher, and mother was a primary school teacher. Kobayashi started c ...

(1988–1990, principal conductor; 1990–1994, 1997–2004, chief conductor; 2004-2007, music director; 2010-present, honorary conductor laureate) *

Junichi Hirokami is a Japanese conductor. Born in Tokyo, Hirokami studied conducting, piano, musicology, and viola at the Tokyo College of Music. He won the first Kondrashin International Conducting Competition in Amsterdam in September 1984 at age 26. One of ...

(1991–2000, resident conductor) * Ryusuke Numajiri (2003–2008, resident conductor) * Alexander Lazarev (2008–2016, principal conductor; 2016–present, conductor laureate) *

(2008–2016, principal guest conductor, 2016–2023, chief conductor) * Kahchun Wong (2023–present, chief conductor)

Music venues

Tokyo venues

Suntory Hall The is a concert venue in the central Akasaka district of Tokyo, Japan. Part of the Ark Hills complex, it consists of a main concert hall, widely considered one of the finest in the world for its acoustics – Herbert von Karajan called it “ ...

Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. History The theatre opened in 1990 and is operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture. Yoshinobu Ashihara was the architect, with a ...

* Suginami Public Hall * Nakano Zero Hall (occasional use)

Yokohama venue

* Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall

Saitama venue

* Omiya Sonic City

References

External links

Official website of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra

Japan Philharmonic Orchestra page on conductors
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1956 Japanese orchestras Musical groups from Tokyo 1956 establishments in Japan Former radio and television orchestras