Dedicated to enhancing local musical culture and fostering the next generation, UBE has been inviting the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra to Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture and hosting classical music concerts at the Ube City Watanabe Memorial Hall since 2008.
Starting in 2022, UBE revamped the concert project to focus on “children’s education,” naming it the Next Generation Music Culture Promotion Project, all while maintaining the basic concept of “Together with the People, Together with Music.”
Under this initiative, 400 elementary and junior high school students from Ube City, Sanyo Onoda City, and Mine City will be invited to attend the concert free of charge. The intent is to foster an appreciation of and curiosity about classical music among the upcoming generation.
Moreover, all proceeds from ticket sales are donated to enhance local musical culture. This includes donating musical instruments to support brass band club activities at Ube City junior high schools.
Lastly, the annual “Friendship Concert,” traditionally held at both Ube-kohsan Central Hospital and Yamaguchi University Hospital before and after the main concert, will occur this year solely at Yamaguchi University Hospital.
UBE Announces 16th UBE Classical Concert — Nurturing Children with Music
This year’s UBE Classical Concert will be held on October 8 at the Ube City Watanabe Memorial Hall.
Even as the end of the COVID-19 pandemic remains uncertain, we believe it is vital to maintain a warm perspective on culture and the arts. With this in mind, we have organized this concert to share, even if in a limited manner, the remarkable and inspiring essence of music performed by an orchestra.
Our aspiration is that this performance will bolster the vitality of the local community and further the continuity and development of its musical culture.
This year, Junichi Hirokami, a versatile and very popular conductor who has made guest appearances with orchestras all over the world, and violinist Rio Arai, who has been attracting attention as one of the most promising young violinists, were invited. Hirokami served as the conductor for the 13th UBE Classical Concert in 2020, which took place under strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including reduced seating to approximately 250 seats, one-fourth of the usual capacity. The event featured a concerto without an intermission, and two performances were held in one day. Hirokami is set to make a long-awaited return as conductor in this year’s 16th concert with a program that includes a symphony. Arai has been communicating the captivating appeal of the violin on her YouTube channel and makes numerous appearances in the media.
Outline
2023 pamphlet
| Name | 16th UBE Classical Concert Next Generation Music Culture Promotion Project Japan Philharmonic Orchestra Ube Concert |
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| Date & Times | Sunday, October 8, 2023 Curtain rises at 2 p.m. (doors open at 1:10 p.m.) |
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| Venue | Ube City Watanabe Memorial Hall | ||||||
| Performance content |
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| Invitees | 400 elementary and junior high school students from Ube City, Sanyo Onoda City, and Mine City will be invited to attend free of charge *The event will have approximately 700 seats, including those for accompanying parents and guardians. |
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| General sales |
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| Other | Libertas Co., Ltd., a special-purpose subsidiary of UBE, will offer free invitations to people with hearing disabilities to sit in seats equipped with Pioneer Corporation’s Body Sonic body sensation sound system. |
