Monday, September 30, 2019

2019 Asian Youth Orchestra Tour -- Tokyo, Japan


 


 Asian Youth Orchestra 2019 Tour -- Tokyo, Japan (Part 1)
Tokyo, at last. AYO's 2019 finale! But will we get there?

Departing Fukuoka for Tokyo on the Bullet Train is all set but the rain is so heavy we can’t get a taxi to take our conductors from the hotel to the train station. 30 minutes in a queue and not one car. Finally we decide to hoof it in the rain. Five steps down the road and half a dozen taxis pull up at once. Fukuoka Station and Tokyo here we come!

It has become a tradition to close our tour with two concerts in the acoustically polished Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. This year is no exception, with Hong Kong favourite Rachel Cheung winning applause and shouts of Bravo! for her Ravel Concerto in G, the crowd demanding two encores. Guest conductor Joseph Bastian and our AYOers at the top of their game as well, delivering the best of their Richard Strauss’ Till Eulengspeigel’s Merry Pranks and Brahms' Symphony No. 4, the Orchestra capturing every nuance of Maestro Bastian’s interpretation.

Next -- the finale!


Asian Youth Orchestra 2019 Tour -- Tokyo, Japan (Part 2)

The last tango. The Orchestra onstage for an acoustic rehearsal and travel briefing - tour consultant Kevin Peterson preparing everyone for the tear-filled long flight home on Sunday.

M. Pontzious puts the Orchestra through their usual pre-concert paces. He then speaks to the Orchestra, reminding the members of the tradition to play Elgar’s Nimrod at the opening of the Rehearsal Camp and as the last encore at the end of the Tour. He rehearses the Nimrod, many members fighting to hold back tears. Maestro singles out several members of the Orchestra for their growth during the Rehearsal Camp and Tour, not always the strongest players, but those who found themselves, identified their character and their musicianship.

The stage is set for the last concert. Many former AYOers and longtime AYO fans fill the concert hall, among them the mother of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Maestro takes the stage and the orchestra raises a huge cheer. The opening Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol bounces excitedly through the lively acoustics of Tokyo Opera City. The Orchestra is giving all they’ve got. The clarinet, violin, horn and cello solos set the stage for Mone Hattori’s Bruch Concerto, demanding brilliant encores.

Our Scheherazade has been a winner at every outing this summer and so it was in Tokyo. One long-time AYO patron wrote to Maestro — "What wonderful music you made tonight. The heritage of your AYO sound more powerful and matured than ever.” AYO Japan representative Ken Kano makes his way backstage to report that audience members are repeating the word, “fantastic.” We are all enormously proud to our AYO.

Maestro introduces the Orchestra members by the countries and territories from which they've come. And then the Nimrod. Tears flow, onstage, backstage and even among the concert patrons. Over six weeks unforgettable memories have been created and new friends have been made.

Cheers, laughter, tears and more selfies than anyone can count at the farewell dinner, and then night turns into day. 5:45 am coming all too soon for the first two buses heading to Narita Airport. We are at the Sunshine Prince Hotel to wave goodbye to 105 beautiful young musicians. AYO 2019 is history. Thank you all for your support.

P.S. One final note: Just outside of the Tokyo Peninsula this morning -

M. Pontzious is enjoying the early morning air when a woman rushes up in the middle of a crosswalk to say thank you for the concerts Friday and Saturday. “I attended both and they were wonderful.”

Once again, thank you. What an Orchestra!!

Keith Lau
AYO General Manager

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