The Theme Composer series presents a portrait of a leading international composer, and commissions him/her a new orchestral work that is premiered during the festival. This year, the series focuses on Italian composer Luca Francesconi (b. 1956). He has written more than 150 works, from solo pieces to multimedia creations, including nine operas and three oratorios. Influenced by Berio, Stockhausen, Donatoni, Ferneyhough, Grisey and Lachenmann, and inspired by ethnic and popular traditions from Italy, Eastern Europe and Africa, as well as blues and jazz, he has forged a virtuosic musical language balancing dynamism and stasis and exploring the expressive potential of instrumental timbre.

■Orchestra Portrait (Commissioned Work Program)

Sat, AUG 29 18:00 Main Hall ► Book Now

Hristina Susak: POPA （2025/26） [World Premiere]
Francesconi: Duende. The Dark Notes for Violin and Orchestra (2013)
Berio: Formazioni for Orchestra (1987)
Francesconi: New Work (2026) [World Premiere, commissioned by Suntory Hall]

　Conductor Kazushi Ono
　Violin Leila Josefowicz
　Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

► Learn more about Suntory Hall International Program for Music Composition

■Chamber Music Portrait

Sun, AUG 23 15:00 Blue Rose (Small Hall) ► Book Now

Francesconi:
Tracce for Alto Saxophone (1985-87)
Secousse-Action for Cello (2020)
Animus Ⅱ for Viola and Live Electronics (2007)
Impulse Ⅱ for Clarinet, Violin and Piano
Respondit－ 2 Madrigals by Gesualdo, Transcribed for 5 Instruments, with Electronic Spatial Treatment (1997)
Daedalus Ⅱ for Flute and Ensembles－ Pierre Boulez in memoriam (2025)

　Violin Leila Josefowicz / Kei Sakoda
　Viola Wakana Ono
　Cello Fumie Kato / Kei Yamazawa
　Flute Takahiro Uchiyama
　Clarinet Takahiro Katayama
　Oboe Kanami Araki
　Saxophone Masanori Oishi
　Piano Misora Ozaki
　Percussion Tomo Ando / Itaru Akuhara
　Electronics Sumihisa Arima

■Music Composition Workshop and Talk Session

Tue, AUG 25 19:00 Blue Rose (Small Hall) ► Book Now

［Part 1］Luca Francesconi×Toshio Hosokawa Talk Session
［Part 2］Workshop by Call for Scores

　Lecture
　Luca Francesconi / Toshio Hosokawa

This award, founded in 1990, is presented to the most notable orchestral work by a Japanese composer premiered during the previous year (January - December 2025). Following the performance of the three nominated works, the jury (Malika Kishino / Yu Kuwabara / Somei Sato) will conduct the deliberations on stage chaired by musicologist Seiji Choki. This year, orchestral works by Nozomu Kaneda, Yuki Nakahashi, and Tetsuya Yamamoto are nominated, which will be performed by the New Japan Philharmonic conducted by Kanako Abe. There will also be an opportunity for the public to vote for their favorite piece.
The program will open with the world premiere of the commissioned work, Odorant Receptors for 2 Keyboards and Orchestra by Kento Ishikawa, the winner of the 2024 award.

► Learn more about the Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition

Sat, AUG 30 17:00 Main Hall ► Book Now

● Kento Ishikawa (2024 awardee) : Odorant Receptors for 2 Keyboards and Orchestra (2026)
[World Premiere, commissioned by Suntory Foundation for the Arts]
　Keyboard Tomoki Akiyama / Yui Amano

● Nominated Works for the 36th Competition of Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition
Nozomu Kaneda: The Play for Skin and Fabric for 2 Orchestras (2024)

Yuki Nakahashi: And I sole ear (2025)
　Soprano Yuki Hino　Electronics Shintaro Imai

Tetsuya Yamamoto: Tribute to the birds out of doors for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra (2025)
　The Philharmonic Chorus of Tokyo

Conductor Kanako Abe
New Japan Philharmonic

● Open Screening (MC: Seiji Choki)
　Jury Malika Kishino / Yu Kuwabara / Somei Sato

Thu, AUG 27 15:00 Main Hall ► Book Now

Part Ⅰ
Camille Pépin: Feuilles d’eau de Silvacane for String Quartet (2025)
Ryoji Ikeda: "Op.1" for 9 strings (2000-01)
　Violin Mayuko Ishigami / Issay Kobayashi　Cello Canon Shibata
　and others

Part Ⅱ
Akira Miyoshi: Duel for Soprano and Orchestra (1964)
　Soprano Airi Sunada

Toru Takemitsu: riverrun for Piano and Orchestra (1984)
　Piano Airi Sunada

Part Ⅲ
Sean Shepherd: Express Abstractionism for Orchestra (2017)
Thomas Adès: Air – Homage to Sibelius for Violin and Orchestra (2021-22)
　Violin Tatsuki Narita

　Conductor Ryusuke Numajiri
　Tokyo Symphony Orchestra

Sat, AUG 22 15:00 Blue Rose (Small Hall) ► Book Now

Yoshio Hachimura: “Meditation Higan-Bana,” Op. 6 (1969)
　Piano Fuko Ishii

Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony Op. 9 for 15 Solo Instruments (1906)

Ligeti: Cello Concerto (1966)
　Cello Ayano Kamimura

Jolivet: Trumpet Concerto No. 2 (1954)
　Trumpet Hayato Kodama

Dai Fujikura: “Ritual” ― In Memoriam Pierre Boulez for Chamber Ensemble and Electronics [Japanese Premiere of the Ensemble version] (2024)
　Electronics Sumihisa Arima

　Conductor Ryusuke Numajiri
　Ensemble “Go for it” (Concertmaster: Akira Mizutani)