New Symphony Orchestra

This concert will be conducted by Mr. Takuo Yuasa and will feature symphonies by Walton, a British national composer, as well as works by Sadao Betsumiya, whose 100th birthday will be celebrated this year.
　For Mr. Yuasa, who has lived and worked internationally in the United Kingdom for many years, Walton's Symphony No. 1 is a piece of repertoire that he holds particularly dear. He has also recorded many Japanese works for Naxos' "Selected Japanese Composers" series, and has also released Sadao Betsumiya's Symphonies No. 1 and No. 2, so we can expect a deeply knowledgeable approach.

The Walton Symphony No. 1 is just so cool.
　William Walton was born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1902. His father was a conductor of a church choir, and he studied at Oxford Choir School from the age of 10.
　The First Symphony took him three years to complete, as he worked on film music during its composition. Walton wrote music for many films, including Laurence Olivier's "Henry V," and his often-performed "Spitfire" is a reworking of the music for the film of the same name.
　Walton's Symphony No. 1 is neat, vibrant, and gorgeous in its modern style. It is an easy-listening piece that is also very much in tune with contemporary film music, so even first-time listeners will enjoy it.

Sadao Betsumiya's beautiful and heartfelt music
　Sadao Betsumiya was born in Tokyo in 1922. After graduating from the University of Tokyo with a bachelor's degree in physics and a bachelor's degree in aesthetics, he went to France to study composition at the Conservatoire de Paris with Milhaud and Messiaen. He established his own style of composition, incorporating delicate lyricism into a tonal classical style, without turning toward avant-garde music.
　Two Prayers for Orchestra" was composed as the culmination of his training after returning to Japan, and was awarded the Mainichi Music Award and the Otaka Award. It consists of two movements named "With Sadness" and "Majestic," and expresses human emotions in a solid structure.
　The Third Symphony was completed in 1984 at the age of 61. With the subtitle "Spring," it expresses the coming of spring, mountain nature, and joyful people. The freshness and cheerfulness of this piece will surely put you in a joyful mood when you listen to it. Please enjoy!