ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it will collaborate with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra (headquartered in Taito-ku, Tokyo; Seiichi Kondo, President; hereinafter “TMSO”) in holding the TMSO x ITOCHU Class Concert 2016 through the ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Fund.
The concert has been held since 2014 to support the children of Tohoku through music, as part of the ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Fund that supports the dreams of children in the disaster-affected area. For this second event, TMSO will visit junior high schools in Kawauchi-mura and Hirono-machi in Fukushima Prefecture which are located within 30 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, as well as two prefectural special needs education schools in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. There, TMSO members will perform, in lecture format with commentary, accessible famous songs such as classical and jazz pieces, as well as performing choral pieces such as “Believe” together with children and students for each school using musical instruments and choir. It is also planned to offer junior high school students hands-on sessions with the violin.
ITOCHU will continue to provide support for reconstruction of the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in the future, through the Children’s Dreams Fund and many other activities.

15th Joint Concert

Date: Saturday, July 27, 2013 Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Fourteen junior and senior high school students from areas in Fukushima Prefecture that suffered extensive damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake were invited to Tokyo. The children took part in section rehearsals and ensemble rehearsals together with children from Tokyo in accordance with the instruction program of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. The lessons were held for two months, and culminated in a joint recital with TMSO in the Large Hall of Tokyo Bunka Kaikan.

TMSO × ITOCHU Class Concert

Founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1965 as part of a cultural promotion project to mark the Tokyo Olympic Games. In 2015, TMSO’s 50th anniversary year, Kazushi Ono assumed the position of Music Director. In addition to its subscription concerts, the orchestra is involved in a variety of activities such as school concerts and outreach programs. As the “Music Ambassador of Capital Tokyo,” TMSO received much acclaim when it toured Europe in November last year to commemorate its 50th anniversary (5 countries, 6 cities). Abbreviated name: TMSO; Website: http://www.tmso.or.jp/index_e.php