The (TSO) is a Japanese orchestra, administratively based in Kawasaki. The orchestra offers subscription concert series at its home, the Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall and at

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 “ ...

, the Concert Hall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, and Tokyo Opera City. It also serves as the opera orchestra for selected opera productions at

New National Theatre Tokyo The is Japan's first and foremost national centre for the performing arts, including opera, ballet, contemporary dance and drama. It is located in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. Since 1997 more than 650 productions were staged. There are about 300 p ...

History

The orchestra was established in 1946 as the

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

Symphony Orchestra (東宝交響楽団), and gave its first performance on 14 May 1946 under the direction of Hitoshi Ueda. The Toho Symphony Orchestra began full-time activities in 1947, starting on 29 September 1947 with performances of Beethoven conducted by Hidemaro Konoe. The orchestra took the name of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in 1951, under the auspices of Radio Tokyo. In May 1956, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra Foundation undertook management of the ensemble. In March 1964, the foundation was dissolved, and the orchestra was reconstituted under new and independent management. A new foundation for the orchestra was re-established in 1980. Masashi Ueda had a regular working relationship with the orchestra from 1946 to 1964.

Kazuyoshi Akiyama was a Japanese conductor who held conducting posts of symphony orchestras in Japan, Canada and the U.S., such as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra from 1964 for life, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 1985, the Syracuse Symphony Orche ...

was the first music director and principal conductor of the orchestra, from 1964 to 2004. Hubert Soudant was the first non-Japanese music director of the orchestra, from 2004 to 2014. The orchestra's current music director is Jonathan Nott, since 2014. Nott is scheduled to conclude his tenure as the orchestra's music director in March 2026. In July 2014,

Lorenzo Viotti Lorenzo Viotti (born 15 March 1990) is a Swiss conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Dutch National Opera. Biography Born in Lausanne the son of conductor Marcello Viotti, Viotti studied piano, ...

first guest-conducted the orchestra. Viotti returned for four subsequent guest-conducting appearances with the orchestra, in 2016, twice in 2019, and in 2023. In August 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of Viotti as its next music director, effective with the 2026-2027 season, with an initial contract of three years. The orchestra has recorded the musical score for the 1984 movie ''

The Return of Godzilla , is a 1984 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Koji Hashimoto, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 16th film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, the last film ...

''.

Music directors

* Masashi Ueda (1945–1964) *

(1964–2004) * Hubert Soudant (2004–2014) * Jonathan Nott (2014–present)

References

External links

* Musical groups established in 1946 Japanese orchestras Culture in Tokyo Musical groups from Kanagawa Prefecture {{japan-band-stub