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Artists' Presentations and Seminars Held to Promote Better Concert Hall Utilization |
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Musicians affiliated with a project in support of "public concert hall music invigoration" programs sponsored by the Japan Foundation for Regional Art Activities held a series of presentations at three rehearsal rooms at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space on August 2 and 3, 2007. The programs were sponsored by the foundation, with the cooperation of The Japan Association of Classical Music Presenters.
Concert hall music invigoration programs work with public concert halls across Japan, inviting them to use artists registered with the foundation -- mainly classical music performers -- in programs held by the venues. It has been ten years since these programs were first organized. The events on August 2 and 3 were part of a follow-up program started in 2005 that adds another level of support for the concert hall music invigoration programs. With the programs now in their third year, the artists were re-registered to work with participating concert halls (the original registration period was two years), as the jointly planned concerts and workshops were held.
This year approximately 170 representatives of concert halls conferred with 51 artists or artists' ensembles. Twenty-minute presentations, consisting of performances, talks or concert segments, were given by solos, duos, piano trios, a saxophone quartet, a brass quintet and others at three different venues, so that participants could attend whichever program they found most interesting. In addition, seminars were held that evoked spirited discussions on such issues as joint planning of community operas and various problems faced by community concert halls. Also, a proposal for a contemporary music project was presented.
After the programs concluded there was an informal get-together for the artists and concert hall representatives to discuss matters of mutual interest. The artists' managers joined in, seeking to learn about projects they might be able to pursue. It is hoped that activities of this kind will help improve the practical planning abilities of people who run local concert halls, increase artists' familiarity with market conditions in different communities and make activities like program planning, workshops and other kinds of outreach programs more effective.
Japan Foundation for Regional Art Activities
http://www.jafra.or.jp/ (in Japanese only)
The Japan Foundation for Regional Art Activities was established in 1994 with material support from regional organizations all across Japan to bring creative activities to communities through the promotion of artistic culture. Its activities include financial support for projects undertaken by regional organizations that improve communities through artistic and cultural activities. It also conducts its own programs for the development of human resources and initiates activities aimed at making more effective use of public cultural facilities and other types of programs.
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Of the artists who gave presentations, profiles of the following four can be found at this site:
Kenichi Nakagawa
http://japansclassic.com/artists/tvu_04/kenichi_nakagawa.html
Mitsutaka Shiraishi
http://japansclassic.com/artists/proarte_02/mitsutaka_shiraishi.html
Takako Takahashi
http://japansclassic.com/artists/beard_01/takako_takahashi.html
Naoko Takeuchi
http://japansclassic.com/artists/ongei_01/naoko_takeuchi.html
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