2018.03.12

“Osaka Cultural Festival Award 2017” given to Michi & Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra

Two concerts by Maestro Michiyoshi Inoue and the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra won the Third Category (for western dance and music) of the “Osaka Cultural Festival Award 2017” as the best concerts among all given inside the Osaka Prefecture in 2017 (from January to December)!

●Prize winners: Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra led by Michiyoshi Inoue
for their performance of Bernstein’s “Mass” and their 505th round of subscription concerts

●Comment from the jury
In 2017, the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra led by Michiyoshi Inoue achieved the highest success by giving two contrasting programs.
One was for the last of the subscription concerts of the orchestra that Inoue conducted as its principal conductor (on February 17th and 18th at the Festival Hall, Osaka). For this special occasion, they chose to perform the two most controversial symphonies written by Shostakovich, the 11th “The Year 1905” and the 12th “The Year 1917”. Highly satisfactory and full of tension, the performance was a mind-blowing exchange of intense sounds inside the orchestra.
Also, for the performance of “Bernstein’s Theater Piece, Mass” (on July 14th and 15th at the Festival Hall, Osaka), held as a part of the 55th Osaka International Festival 2017, Inoue directed all his energy into this project as the general director, not only conducting the orchestra but also being in charge of the staging and the Japanese subtitles. His interpretation preserved the inconsistent aspects of the original and exuded the conflict that the composer intentionally put into the “Mass”.

About Osaka Cultural Festival Award (in Japanese):
http://www.osaka-bunka.jp/bunkasai.html
http://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/keizaisenryaku/page/0000428041.html