PMF News 2024.10.16

PMF News - Autumn 2024

Autumn arrived quickly in Sapporo, after an unusually hot summer, and nature is showing its kaleidoscopic beauty here and all across Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. Autumn in Sapporo is a great season for cultural activities too, with concerts every night at Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara featuring many visiting artists and orchestras. In this vibrant season, preparations for PMF 2025 are well underway!

PMF 2024 reflections - music outreach

The primary mission of the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo is to foster aspiring young musicians of the world via an international Orchestra Academy, with each member intensively learning to make music together, with guidance from leading conductors and musicians of major orchestras in Europe and the U.S., as festival founder Leonard Bernstein envisioned. But another important mission, perhaps less visible, is to foster the next generation of young audience members, including the use of fun and creative educational programs with hands-on activities.

This year for the first time, the PMF Classical Lab♪ presented a series of 3 music workshops developed for children of distinct age groups by Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in collaboration with Casa da Música in Portugal. From children as young as 19 months to adults, participants enjoyed expressing themselves through music and musically inspired movement.

The PMF Link Up Concert, based on Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program and adapted specifically for Sapporo elementary school students, was presented once again, with students singing and playing along with the PMF Orchestra on recorders and handmade percussion instruments. Since its inception in 2013, over 6,600 students have participated!

PMF Mina Mina concerts (formerly "Volunteer Concerts") bring music to people who find it difficult to attend a concert hall. This new concert title comes from the language of the Ainu, the indigenous people of northern Japan. "Mina" means "to smile," and "mina mina" means "to smile a lot." Also, in Japanese, "mina" means "everyone."
This year members of PMF BERLIN performed for students, teachers, and parents/guardians at two Sapporo City special needs schools.
PMF will continue striving to bring the joy of music to every corner of our community!

Photos of these programs and much more are now available on the PMF 2024 Photo Gallery.

While we reflect on summer, preparations for PMF 2025 are also underway. Audition details will be released online on November 1, here.

PMF FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION / Kurt Muroki, double bass / PMF 1993, 1994

Kurt Muroki, double bass faculty at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (PMF 1993, ‘94) was a teacher of Aleck Belcher (PMF 2018, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Associate Principal Bass), who was featured in our previous newsletter. We are grateful to Kurt for his generosity in sharing his thoughts with us here!

Is there a difference between how you saw PMF when you participated and how you see it now that you are a teacher and performer with so many leading orchestras?

I really see it the same way. A great place to explore different cultures and progress musically.

You have produced quite a few double bass students from your studio. Do you ever speak with them about your own education, or specifically about your time at PMF?

I try to give them room to explore, but I do speak about Alois Posch often and how he changed my life at PMF. Chamber music at PMF also was crucial in my musical development. I enjoyed working with Mr. Toru Takemitsu and will remember him fondly! What an amazing musician and he was very kind to me. I also speak with them about the fact that we were allowed to have unlimited beer in our rooms the first year and how I REALLY enjoyed that.

Aleck Belcher was a joy to teach and to work with at Indiana University for his undergraduate degree prior to him winning his job in his third year. I met him prior at the New York String Orchestra Seminar led by Jaime Laredo, where I got to work with him. Such a humble and dedicated musician. He always came in prepared into lessons and never complained. I was overjoyed when he was accepted to PMF. I knew that he would have a great summer and that I didn’t have to worry one bit. I recently got to play with him again when I went to sub with the St. Louis Symphony.

Considering your 2 summers at PMF, what do you hope your students will learn during their own PMF experiences?

Working with the best musicians, wonderful chamber music experiences, and exploring repertoire. Style, character, and exploring different ideas are crucial to musical development.
I loved working with the Vienna Phil members. I hope that my students that are accepted to PMF get a chance to experience the same things I did. Exploring and experiencing musicianship at its highest level.

from PMF 1994

Mayor Akimoto’s visit to Austria

Last month, PMF Artistic Manager Nick Akers joined Sapporo Mayor/Chairman of the PMF Board of Directors Mr. Katsuhiro Akimoto on a trip to Austria, aimed in part at strengthening ties based on international exchange and the arts. They toured the Vienna Philharmonic's historic Musikverein and met with Daniel Froschauer and Michael Bladerer, Vienna Phil Chairman and CEO, respectively, confirming their continued support for PMF. The Mayor also traveled to Linz to attend the Ars Electronica Festival.

PMF in their own words: Wilson Ng

This ongoing series features messages from PMF faculty members and more, sharing with us what PMF means to them. In this edition, Wilson Ng has kindly shared his thoughts with us. Wilson participated in PMF as a member of the Conducting Academy in 2015, and in 2024 he returned to PMF after 9 years to lead the PMF Host City Orchestra Concert, with PMF musicians joining the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra!

PMF is a non-profit organization, sustained by the generosity of individuals like you. It provides a uniquely multicultural learning environment for young musicians from all over the world, increasing international mutual understanding alongside musicianship.
Please consider making a donation to help sustain the work of the festival.

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Pacific Music Festival Organizing Committee
https://www.pmf.or.jp/en/
Sumitomo Seimei Sapporo Chuo Bldg.
1F 1-14, Minami 2 jo, Higashi 1 chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0052
TEL: +81-11-242-2211　FAX: +81-11-242-1687

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