Time has flown by! After such a hot summer in Sapporo, the cool air and autumnal hues of October are especially enjoyable. Here at PMF, while we reflect on last season, preparations for next year are well underway.

Looking back on PMF 2025

PMF 2025 was full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences for Academy members that will surely become enduring memories. As always, learning from and performing with world-class conductors and soloists, and a faculty drawn from Vienna, Berlin, and the major orchestras of the US, are experiences that stimulate young musicians’ dreams of becoming professional musicians. Once again this year, enjoy wonderful moments of music making, exchanging ideas, sharing laughter, experiencing Japanese culture, and much more in the PMF Photo Gallery!

Performance videos will be released throughout the season on the PMF YouTube channel, where you can enjoy lots of performances from past years as well!

PMF 2026 Auditions

Details on PMF 2026 auditions will be announced by November. In the meantime, you can prepare by making your free Acceptd account, which is required to apply, and reviewing the old audition information from last year, which we leave online for reference throughout the year.

If you or someone you know is considering auditioning, you might enjoy this 4-minute video summary of what it’s like to be at PMF!

In celebration of our 35th anniversary, PMF 2025 featured the Homecoming Orchestra Concert, with over 40 alumni from orchestras and ensembles around the globe conducted by Dawid Runtz, himself an alumnus as well. Violinist Kenneth Liao has kindly shared his thoughts on participating in this project, returning to PMF for the first time in almost ten years!

In Remembrance of Fumio Ueda,
PMF Executive Advisor & former Sapporo Mayor

Fumio Ueda, former Sapporo Mayor who for many years put enormous effort into the promotion of music and culture, serving the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo as Chairman of the Board of Directors and then as Executive Advisor, passed away on September 18. Ueda supported the young musicians of PMF, acting as a bridge for international musical exchange, and made tremendous contributions to the development of arts and culture in Sapporo. His love of music and active, curious personality led him to appear in various PMF concerts, playing trumpet and even acting in an opera scene. His gentle spirit and guidance, always with an eye toward the future, are deeply ingrained in all who knew him. His tireless work was invaluable not only for Sapporo, but for the musical culture of Japan, and through his work at PMF, for the world. The impact of his achievements will continue to be passed on to future generations, and our memories of this extraordinary figure will be cherished for years to come.

Alumni activities

PMF alumni in Japan have continued to bring music to a wide audience, performing outreach concerts and at various events held by corporate sponsors of the festival.

One such event was presented on Rishiri Island, one of the two islands off the northernmost tip of Hokkaido, for the first time. Ayano Guiles (trumpet / PMF 2014, 16, 17), Eitaro Yamakawa (trumpet / PMF 2021), Kaname Hamaji (horn / PMF 2009), Zachary Guiles (trombone), Takahiro Kim (tuba / PMF 2012), and Tatsuya Shirato (percussion / PMF 2011) performed a program showcasing brilliant brass sound and dazzling technique. Primarily for the island’s students, from elementary to high school, the program also included introductory talks by each musician, with demonstrations on sound production, breath techniques, and more. They also performed with Yoshiko Hanzaki, a popular singer-songwriter and Tourism Ambassador of Rishiri Island, who led attending students in two songs. After the concert, the ensemble visited a local school to teach junior high and high school wind and percussion players.

Help sustain PMF

As a non-profit organization, PMF is 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 today.

We are also planning a new fundraising project, to make a special program featuring PMF alumni possible at the festival's 40th anniversary in 2030. We hope that you will consider donating to that project. Details will be announced soon.

And to our many alumni who include the Pacific Music Festival in your biographies, we are truly grateful for your ongoing help in spreading awareness of the festival.

Thank you for all the ways you help sustain PMF!