Soma Children's Orchestra and Chorus

On June 1, an exchange concert was held at Tokyo College of Music's Ikebukuro Campus, featuring children from Japan and Canada's El Sistema. Participants included the children's orchestras from Soma, Otsuchi and Komagane, as well as OrKidstra and Sistema New Brunswick from Canada. Additionally, members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra kindly assisted as instructors. It was a wonderful day of exchange through music.  

The event began with an introduction of each group. Children representing each orchestra introduced their regions and programs. Some children who were confident in their English skills gave their presentations without an interpreter.

In the morning, under the guidance of Tony Delgado, Sistema New Brunswick Music Director and Conductor, all the children from Japan and Canada took part in an orchestra rehearsal. They practiced the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 and Spring! by Margaret Maria, a Canadian composer who closely works for OrKidstra, 

In the afternoon, joint rehearsals continued, with Yusuke Kimoto, El Sistema Japan’s Music Director (Orchestra), conducting the first movement of Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and Tony conducting the rehearsal of Piazzolla's Libertango.

After that, each group gave a performance.The Soma Children's Orchestra performed the first movement of Mozart's Divertimento in F major conducted by Meina, a member of the orchestra, and the first movement of Takashi Yoshimatsu's Atom Hearts Club Quartet conducted by Kimoto. Their powerful and dignified performance opened the program.

Next, the Otsuchi Children's Orchestra and the Soma Children's Orchestra performed the first movement of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons – Spring in a joint performance. The beautiful solo by Yurika, a member of the orchestra, who served as the soloist, was accompanied by the well-coordinated ensemble, and the performance was met with loud applause.

The Komagane Children's Orchestra, conducted by Makiko Yokota, Chief instructor, performed all movements of Vivaldi's Concerto in C minor for Strings and Continuo. They played with concentration throughout the difficult passages and performed admirably.

The final performance was a joint performance by children from Canada. Members of OrKidstra and Sistema New Brunswick performed a variety of songs that transcended national and genre boundaries, including Trois Blizzard, Adoration, Postcards, Blue Rhytmico, Jupiter, and Tico Tico, exciting the audience. The children from other locations gave them a big round of applause, and they praised each other.

After the performances, Henry Kennedy, the permanent conductor of National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the musicians joined children for the final rehearsal of the joint performance. It was impressive to see how the children’s sound deepened and matured—a truly inspiring transformation under the guidance of the professional musicians.

Finally, it was time for the concert’s grand finale. The children performed for their parents and those who had purchased tickets through crowdfunding. Despite their initial nervousness in the morning, the children bonded with their peers from different countries and languages, delivering a powerful performance that united their hearts.  

We were able to hold this wonderful exchange concert thanks to the support of everyone who contributed through crowdfunding. For the children, it was an irreplaceable experience to connect through music, transcending language barriers.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who cooperated and worked hard to make this event possible.