As we emerge from an exceptionally severe winter and with obstacles still in sight on the path toward an international festival, Spring has finally arrived in Sapporo and preparations for PMF 2022 are in full swing!

Here we present an overview of this summer’s festival, including details on soloists and programs, reports of alumni concerts in Hokkaido, and a message from an important PMF sponsor.

PMF 2022 Overview

PMF 2022 Audition Report

Since auditions closed last month, all of the videos uploaded by the 973 applicants from 56 countries and regions around the world have been judged, and we are now in the final process of making the list of successful applicants. The results will be sent to each applicant directly by email, and then at a later date, after confirming their participation, we will announce the members of the PMF Orchestra on the PMF website.

PMF 2022 Program Details

Renowned pianist Makoto Ozone will serve as the soloist for Program B! Leaping effortlessly between genres as few pianists can, both his jazz performances and those with classical orchestras around the world garner high praise. He first appeared at PMF in 2008, performing PMF-founder Leonard Bernstein’s “Age of Anxiety.” This summer he takes on Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the PMF Orchestra conducted by Lahav Shani!

The festival’s opening program, conducted by Ken-David Masur, features Beethoven’s majestic Triple Concerto for piano, violin, and cello, with three impressive up-and-coming young Japanese soloists. Pianist Tomoki Kitamura, prize-winner of international competitions such as the Sydney, Leeds, and Beethoven Competition in Bonn, violinist Mayumi Kanagawa, winner of the Tchaikovsky and Long-Thibaud Crespin competitions, and cellist Michiaki Ueno, who most recently won first prize at the Geneva International Music Competition in 2021 will come together to create a truly special event!

In addition to all of this, an international PMF faculty will return to Sapporo for the first time since 2019, from the Vienna Phil, Berlin Phil, and major orchestras of the US!

PMF has been supported by many public and private organizations, corporations, and innumerable individuals since its inception in 1990. Starting with this edition of the newsletter, we would like to invite our festival supporters to share their thoughts on supporting PMF, and on the impact of PMF on their lives and society.
We hope you enjoy this viewpoint from longstanding PMF sponsor Kenichi Kosuna!

Many people regard music as an essential part of their life. Music has the power to realize world peace by enriching the hearts and minds of people. I think music moves the heart of the listener more instantly and deeply than words do.

Once I asked Christoph Eschenbach, the 3rd Pacific Music Festival (PMF) Artistic Director, the reason why he was involved in music. He immediately answered, “For world peace.” I felt sympathy for his words and our conversation was animated very much.

It is truly gratifying that PMF is now counted as one of the three major educational music festivals in the world after 32 years from its founding that was advocated by Leonard Bernstein in 1990. It is also fantastic that young musicians gather in Sapporo to get one month of coaching from PMF faculty and demonstrate what they have learned at concerts held there. Afterwards, many of the graduates perform actively around the world.

PMF greatly contributes to nurturing young musicians and plays a considerable role in popularizing classical music among younger generations. I do hope PMF will continue for a long time here in Sapporo and am willing to offer continued support as long as possible.

Activity report: PMF Connects LIVE! and Classical Lab♪

We continued to present live performances throughout the winter, including an ensemble concert in the Underground Walkway “Chikaho” in downtown Sapporo, a chamber music concert at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara (which had originally been scheduled for last July), and the 2nd PMF Classical Lab♪ “Musical Journeys: Italy,” featuring discussions on and performances of a wide range of Italian music, at the Sapporo Cultural Arts Community Center’s “Creative Studio.”

These concerts remind us of just how precious the experience of live music has become in our time. We have missed the natural communicative aspect of a concert ? the smiles of others gathered together, their warm responses to performances ? and we look forward to much more of this at PMF 2022!

Help sustain the high standards and quality of PMF!

Your support helps this unique educational music festival, pursuing excellence in performance while celebrating the diversity of the musical community of the world, promoting understanding among young people with a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Please consider a donation toward helping to ensure the success of PMF 2022.