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News release

No. she021November 9, 2020

Wiener Philharmoniker Week in Japan 2020
Daiwa House Special
Valery Gergiev conducts Wiener Philharmoniker
November 9 - 14 2020

Suntory Hall is delighted to announce that in this unprecedented year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual Wiener Philharmoniker Week in Japan will take place as scheduled under the highest level of precautionary measures and self-restrictions. It is the first visit by an oversea orchestra since the global outbreak of Covid-19.

The orchestra, together with Maestro Valery Gergiev and soloist Denis Matsuev, arrived at Fukuoka Airport on November 4 on a chartered plane. They were all tested for Covid-19 upon arrival and the results were all negative. Following concerts in Kitakyushu, Osaka, and Kawasaki, they will give five concerts at Suntory Hall, as well as school program and master class. The orchestra’s precautionary measures include travelling only on coaches and dedicated Shinkansen carriages, and refraining from going out except between the hotel and the concert hall to avoid close-contact setting. They will also continue with their own Covid-19 testing regime during the stay.

There are five main concerts at Suntory Hall, featuring orchestral masterpieces including Stravinsky’s Firebird complete ballet (November 9, 12, 14), Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony (November 10) and R. Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben (November 13). The soloist in the fiendishly difficult Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (November 9, 10) is the celebrated Russian virtuoso Denis Matsuev, and Tchaikovsky’s elegant Rococo Variations (November 9, 13) will be performed Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, cellist and President of Suntory Hall.
Daniel Froschauer, Chairman of the Wiener Philharmoniker, commented: “The deep and long lasting relationship between our two countries has contributed to making this tour possible. … It is our desire to harness the power and beauty of music in order to offer music lovers around the world – including our beloved Japanese audience, a source of hope and light.”

Suntory Hall Concerts: Dates and Programs
Monday, 9 November, 7 p.m.
Opening Concert
Wiener Philharmoniker
Valery Gergiev, conductor
Denis Matsuev, piano
Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, cello
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op. 16
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme in A major, Op. 33
Stravinsky: The Firebird (complete ballet, 1910 version)
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20201109_M_3.html

Tuesday, 10 November, 7 p.m.
Wiener Philharmoniker
Valery Gergiev, conductor
Denis Matsuev, piano
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, excerpts
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op. 16
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20201110_M_3.html

Thursday, 12 November, 7 p.m.
Wiener Philharmoniker
Valery Gergiev, conductor
Debussy: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Debussy: La Mer
Stravinsky: The Firebird (complete ballet, 1910 version)
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20201112_M_3.html

Friday, 13 November, 7 p.m.
Wiener Philharmoniker
Valery Gergiev, conductor
Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, cello
Beethoven: Overture to Coriolan, Op. 62
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme in A major, Op. 33
R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20201113_M_3.html

Saturday, 14 November, 4 p.m.
Wiener Philharmoniker
Valery Gergiev, conductor
Debussy: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Debussy: La Mer
Stravinsky: The Firebird (complete ballet, 1910 version)
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20201114_M_2.html

For further information and press photos, please contact:
suntoryhall-pr@suntory.co.jp
Public Relations, Suntory Hall

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