Kyoto Symphony Orchestra (京都市交響楽団)
Kyoto Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra headquartered in Kyoto City. It is commonly known by its abbreviation Kyokyo.
In April 1956, it was founded as the only orchestra in Japan which was directly managed by a municipality. The present regular conductor is Junichi HIROKAMI and the Conductor Laureate is Naoto OTOMO.
At present, it gives a Subscription Concert once a month in the Kyoto Concert Hall and, taking advantage of its large modern orchestra and its direct management by a municipality, it also gives a lot of performances of works that otherwise would have little chance of being heard. It also presents 'Kodomono tameno concert' (concert for children) as a regular series. In 2005, it formed a sister orchestra ties with the Prague Symphony Orchestra.
History
In April 1956, it was established as an orchestra directly operated by a municipality and gave its first public performance on June 18 in the Pontocho Kaburenjo Theater. On the next day June 19, it gave its first Subscription Concert at the outdoor concert hall in Maruyama Park (Kyoto Prefecture).
In 1959, in cooperation with Nikikai Opera Foundation, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra made a nationwide tour performing 'Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Opera Series' and received THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPER Award for Music, the Osaka Fumin Hall Award, and the Osaka Prefecture Art Festival Awards. In 1961, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra received the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Art. In 1976, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra gave its first overseas public performance in Hong Kong. In 1978, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra received the 'Japan Record Academy Award' for its record "Kyoto wo imejishita sakuhinshu" (The Contemporary Music of Japan), a collection of five Kyokyo's commissioned works. In 1987, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra gave public performances in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). In 1989, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra gave public performances in France. In 1995, following completion of construction of the Kyoto Concert Hall, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra moved its base from the Kyoto Kaikan. In 1997, as the finale to its fortieth anniversary celebrations, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra carried out an overseas tour of five European cities, with Michiyoshi INOUE as conductor. From 1999 through 2001, together with Uwe Mund (the tenth permanent conductor), it recorded works by Jean SIBELIUS, Bedrich SMETANA, Bela BARTOK and Gustav MAHLER and released to the whole world through German budget record label "ARTE NOVA." In 2003, together with Naoto OTOMO, the eleventh regular conductor, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra launched the first regular concert for children in the western Japan, 'Concert for Children'. In 2006, to commemorate its fiftieth anniversary, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra gave a commemorative "Birthday Concert"(June 18) at the Pontocho Kaburenjo Theater. And, in November, it toured major cities in Japan with the title of 'Kyokyo soritsu 50-shunen kinen concert tour'. In 2009, the operation of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra was transferred from the Culture and Citizens Affairs Bureau of Kyoto Prefecture to an extra-departmental organization, Kyoto City music art cultural Promoting Foundation.