Finally, Spring has arrived here this northern city of Sapporo. The monotone of winter has gradually given way to a vibrant, colorful landscape, and preparations for PMF 2025 are in full swing!

35th Anniversary PMF Homecoming Orchestra Concert

In celebration of the 35th PMF, a special chamber orchestra comprised of distinguished PMF alumni currently active in orchestras around the globe will perform a concert led by Polish conductor Dawid Runtz, himself a PMF alumnus. Joining the orchestra will be the members of the Risus Quartet, three of whom are PMF alumnae, and the members of the all-alumni Pacific Quintet (both ensembles then staying on to perform other concerts on their own!).

Liana Leßmann, clarinetist of the Pacific Quintet, will serve as soloist in Witold Lutosławski’s folk-dance-infused Dance Preludes for Clarinet and Ensemble. And perhaps best known for his film scores such as that for Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula, Wojciech Kilar’s concert piece for strings “Orawa” concludes the first half. This rich program, promising discoveries for all involved, culminates in Mozart’s final symphony, the masterpiece No. 41 “Jupiter.”

Introducing the PMF 2025 Academy!

After extremely competitive auditions, with 1,344 applicants from 70 countries/regions, the members of the PMF 2025 Academy have now been announced! This year, 95 young musicians from 23 countries/regions will come together to form the PMF Orchestra Academy. May each and every one of them have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, full of learning, performing, and lifelong friendships!

Alumni Activities

During the Winter season, PMF presented outreach programs at a variety of venues in Sapporo. The woodwind quintet “Ensemble Est,” including PMF alumni Shota Takahashi (oboe, PMF 2021), Tomomi Inoue (clarinet, PMF 2021), and Miki Horatani (bassoon, PMF 2016, 21), gave a lecture concert for music-major high school students, sharing their experiences of studying abroad, preparing for competitions, and offering advice for the students’ future studies. Shota Takahashi in particular shared his experience of studying with legendary oboist and pedagogue Thomas Indermühle at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe in Germany, stressing the importance of carefully searching for the right teacher, in the right place, and the importance of language study to support those choices. Ensemble Est also performed concerts at the downtown aquarium AOAO Sapporo.

Meanwhile, another woodwind quintet including PMF alumnae Minako Hachijo (flute, PMF 1998, 99) along with two singers including Takahiro Shimotsuka (baritone, PMF 2010), performed a music outreach program in Sapporo’s Kiyota Ward for pre-school and elementary school children and their parents/guardians. Aiming to communicate the joy of music to the younger generation, the program included popular opera arias and songs, and a chance for children to try conducting the ensemble.

From PMF faculty − Rafael Figueroa

For this edition, one of our longest serving faculty members, Rafael Figueroa (principal cello, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra), generously shared his thoughts on performing and teaching at PMF, how his years of performing in the opera pit has influenced his symphonic performance, and the role a teacher can play in young musicians' lives.

I have been principal cellist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 1995, which is a pretty long time. It is a position which requires great endurance and consistency of performance and knowledge of many musical styles. I love my job at the Met and enjoy playing next to my colleagues this amazing repertory.

This coming summer will be my thirteenth out of sixteen summers participating at PMF. I cannot believe it myself. Time does go by fast when you are having fun. These past thirteen festivals have been such a joy for me. I have made life long friendships with my amazing colleagues from leading orchestras in the US and enjoyed performing a huge amount of symphonic repertory with the PMF Orchestra under many of the world’s outstanding conductors. I have had the privilege of performing as a soloist with the orchestra and performing a huge amount of the greatest chamber music with my amazing colleagues.

I have seen so many young cellists come to PMF and later on get jobs in leading orchestras all over the world. It gives me a great deal of joy and I feel so proud of them. Thanks to the wonders of the internet I am able to stay in touch with many former students, monitor their progress and be there for them for anything they may need.

Over the years I have observed at PMF and at other music festivals dedicated to the development of young talent that the general level of playing worldwide has been rising consistently. I remember a conversation with my mentor, Janos Starker, regarding the general level of playing. Starker said the cello will be entering its golden years in the near future. This conversation happened nearly forty years ago. We are there now. These are definitely the golden years and the general level of cello playing all over the world is the highest it has ever been. This is as a result of globalization and good teaching. When I was a young cellist looking into my future studies, you could count with one hand the outstanding cello teachers whom everyone sought. Nowadays there are many terrific teachers all over the world and the result is evident in the level of playing. The cello technique has reached such heights that at auditions it is expected that the contestants play with a great deal of technical perfection. Here’s where we the old faculty come into play as it is imperative that we help the young players develop as high a level of musicianship as of technical proficiency. In the end, technique should be in the service of music making and not the other way around.

Performing opera on a daily basis is something which I consider has transformed my playing. It is often said of the Met Orchestra that the sound of its players has a warmth and a singing quality unlike any other orchestra. Considering that we are playing next to and listening to the greatest voices in the world, some of it has got to rub off on us. The Met Orchestra has a symphonic series every season at Carnegie Hall. These concerts are big events for us and for our audiences. The mere fact that we are not performing the great masterpieces of the symphonic literature all the time makes it a special occasion and gives us an opportunity to give a fresh interpretation to them, perhaps infused with the influence of singing. In other words vocal playing. The reverse also applies. The performing of the symphonic literature enhances our opera playing positively in many ways.

At PMF I have had the privilege of performing next to my colleagues from the leading orchestras of the USA. The interaction we have, the friendship and mutual admiration is evident in our chamber music making and on stage performing Mahler, Bruckner, Strauss and all the great masters. Every season I look forward to the summer at PMF and the wonderful students and to sharing it all with the great audience, many of whom I have come to know over the years.
Until soon. My best wishes to all.

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