PMF represents a part of the legacy Bernstein left to the world, and with that in mind the Bernstein Legacy Concert is dedicated to him, as the founder of the festival. The concert will be conducted this year by Heiichiro Ohyama, who is also known as an educator and a violist, and who himself performed and recorded under Bernstein"s baton, and pianist Hibiki Tamura, who captured worldwide attention when he won first prize at the 2007 international Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition at the age of 20, will appear as soloist.
This year"s program harks to Bernstein"s activities as a pianist, as a conductor, and as a composer, featuring Beethoven"s Piano Concerto No. 1, which Bernstein legendarily led from the piano as soloist, then Bernstein-favored works by Copland and Milhaud, both of whom influenced Bernstein"s compositional style and who in turn expressed their deep mutual admiration for him, and finally a masterpiece by Bernstein himself, the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.