CBSO and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group join forces for landmark concert in Japan.
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, two of Birmingham’s leading arts organisations, are performing a landmark series of concerts together across Japan this summer. The collaboration embodies Birmingham’s commitment to artistic excellence and the city’s position as an artistic leader on the world stage.
The CBSO’s tour runs from June 28th–July 6th, with eight concerts scheduled in key cities including Ngoya, Hyogo, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Kyoto and Yokohama. Under the direction of Kazuki Yamada, CBSO’s Music Director, the orchestra will perform at prestigious venues such as Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall and Suntory Hall. The concerts feature distinguished soloists including cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and pianists Yunchan Lim and Hisako Kawamura.
On 30th June, as part of the Japan tour, te CBSO was joined by BCMG for a special concert titled Awakening at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. This unique performance presented contemporary classical music inspired by Japanese sounds, including the Japanese premiere of a brand-new BCMG commissioned concerto for Shō (traditional Japanese mouth organ) composed by one of Japan’s leading contemporary voices, Dai Fujikura.
Kazuki Yamada’s role as CBSO Music Director underscores a unique cultural connection between Birmingham and Japan – and demonstrates how classical and contemporary music can work together and to push creative boundaries. Together, the CBSO and BCMG illustrate how Birmingham’s arts organisations connect global audiences and share ideas through music.
Kazuki Yamada, Music Director, CBSO, said: “I am so thrilled to once again be in Japan with the CBSO. Bringing the orchestra to my home country is always so special for me, and for these concerts we are joined by particularly wonderful soloists – audiences will have a fantastic time.
“It is brilliant also to be collaborating with the BCMG to play my friend Dai Fujikura’s Sho Concerto, a new piece that draws on inspiration from ancient Japanese traditions, fused with contemporary classical music. I am so proud, through these concerts, to be representing Birmingham’s brilliant music making to the world.”
