In the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and the unprecedented levels of damage they caused, the PMF Organizing Committee decided to hold the PMF 2011 (the 22nd event) as initially scheduled thanks to the support of a great many musicians who hoped for Japan's recovery and expressed their willingness to participate. We sought donations at related venues, including pre-PMF event sites, and also hosted a number of related charity concerts.

The second-year educational program under the baton of Artistic Director Fabio Luisi attracted 114 young musicians (including four PMF Conducting Academy members) from 21 countries and regions. In addition to inviting Krzysztof Urbański as guest conductor, we also welcomed PMF Faculty members including the Tokyo String Quartet and principal players and other members of the Wiener Philharmoniker, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and others.

The concerts held during the festival served as a platform for PMF Academy members to showcase the progress they had achieved through rehearsals, and also provided arenas for PMF Faculty members and alumni to give performances. A total of 38 concerts attracting 40,114 people overall were held in Hokkaido, Tokyo and Osaka at venues including Sapporo Art Park and Sapporo Concert Hall. The works performed by the PMF Orchestra included Symphony No. 10 by Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 2 by Johannes Brahms, and Symphony No. 1 by Gustav Mahler. Mahler's orchestra songs were performed with renowned baritone Thomas Hampson, who was visiting the festival for the first time in 21 years since his last appearance in 1990. Fabio Luisi gave guidance to the PMF Conducting Academy for young conductors, and four Academy students led the PMF Orchestra in performances during the festival.