[Ryuichi Sakamoto Memorial Regular Concert 2024] Koriyama has finished, but tomorrow, the 31st (Sunday), will be at Suntory Hall!

The day before yesterday, March 28th, was the first anniversary of the death of director Ryuichi Sakamoto. At today's Koriyama performance, there was a man silently watching over the members of the company backstage. There are only two days left until the memorial performance.

Today, the 30th (Sat), the performance will be held in Fukushima at Koriyama Civic Cultural Center.

Behind the scenes, NHK's recording team (classical program crew) had set up six cameras, and Momoka Kikuchi (blonde), a former clarinetist who is currently a director at NHK's Nagoya broadcasting station , was covering the concert closely for an ETV special. The amount of equipment and staff is dizzying, but I pay my reception fee without fail.

Here, Seigen Ono was setting up for recording again today.

This is a rare scene of the usually talkative Seigen concentrating in silence.

Today, the dress rehearsal began again before the performance.

Now, it's time for a break before the main event begins.

We had a guest from Himi City, Toyama Prefecture. He is Yoichi Kawade, general producer of the Himi City Arts and Culture Center, who will be holding the "Reconnect - Connecting the Noto Peninsula and Tohoku, Ryuichi Sakamoto Memorial Tohoku Youth Orchestra Concert 2024 Live Viewing in Himi" tomorrow in Tokyo .

Apparently there were 1,500 applications for the 800-seat hall, which was free to attend. Not only people living in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, but also many people from the Noto Peninsula area of Ishikawa Prefecture attended. This is a new step for the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, "from a supported orchestra to a supporting orchestra."

We even received some gifts. Here is today's gift introduction section.

We also offered mandarin oranges from Ehime, a hometown of Director Sakamoto's, to his portrait, from his schoolmate Yasuhisa Shiozaki. We also received some from three other former students who we miss dearly.

Kurosu, who became a public health nurse, is now married, Takahashi's older sister is a nurse, and Takahashi's younger sister wants to become a nurse, so they posed for a commemorative photo with Shiozaki, a former Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, who issues national qualification licenses.

Maybe it's the license signature!

We also received this from today's reading guest, Yoshinaga Sayuri.

It must have been super popular, but I never got a chance to try it.

In the lobby after the doors opened.

The eldest of the three brothers, Tomizawa and Ashina, who will be full-time high school teachers this spring, helped out with the sales of TYO original products today. In fact, many of the members of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra are brothers and sisters. This is probably why TYO has a "family-like" feeling.

This is an impromptu sale of staff T-shirts with original designs by the master of portraits, violinist Shu Maruyama. In terms of portrait rights and copyright, the TYO members were given a special treatment, and we donated them to the director as well.

Now, 10 minutes before the start of the show, the shadow announcers will appear. If you are attending Suntory Hall tomorrow, please be seated by 1:50pm and listen to the TYO-specific pre-show instructions.

The local Fukushima shadow announcers, along with host Watanabe Mari, were all smiles at the successful performance.

When I asked, "What is today's mixed team?", I got answers like, "TYO's AAA," "TYO's Goose House," and "TYO's Maximum Hormone." I don't know anymore.

Moving over to the side, we see a group of four girls playing cellos. Please sing "TYO's New School Leaders!"

They all surrounded Director Sakamoto, who was standing alone next to him.

I hope today's performance reaches you as well.

I would like to report to the students that Trumpet-playing Mr. Nakamura, an elementary school teacher, took out his selfie stick again today.

Two rare photos of the two of them together.

Once the performance began, time passed quickly and there was a break before the second half began.

As Yoshinaga Sayuri's reading progressed, the audience tried to contain their excitement even in the wings, and before they knew it, an encore was called.

Director Sakamoto was also on stage with everyone.

I was thinking about everyone receiving the applause, but Otsuki, the horn player, noticed me.

We are truly grateful to the social media posts of guest violinist Tatsuki Narita and pianist Shota Nakano , which express the joy of performing with this orchestra.

After the performance, Noguchi, who will graduate from the orchestra with the 9th term and aims to become a professional musician, said, "I have only ever used a Yamaha flute," so we spoke with Masato Oshiki, Representative Director of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra General Incorporated Association, Executive Officer of Yamaha Corporation, and General Manager of the Musical Instruments and Sound Sales Division of Yamaha Corporation.

Musical instruments connect people. Become a great professional and receive full support from Yamaha.

Tomorrow, we will hold a graduation ceremony to send off 18 members, and the final performance of this season will be in Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Many members will be performing on that stage for the first time, but "Let's stop yearning for it." With respect for the hall and gratitude for all that has been done, let's deliver the best performance of the year to director Ryuichi Sakamoto in heaven.

There will be no tickets sold on the day. We hope everyone who comes to the event enjoys themselves.