Archive - Open Lesson Concerts

The Yamaoka Memorial Foundation held the “6th High School Wind Ensemble Open Lesson Concert with Eiji Oue” at Amashin Archaic Hall on November 6, 2022 (Sun).

In this project, members of junior and senior high school wind ensembles learned from world-renowned Maestro Oue how to create music with a wide range of musicality and expressiveness by reading the implications hidden in the sheet music, such as the historical background in which the piece was written and the composer's intentions and sentiments, rather than playing the piece according to the score. In view of the situation of the novel coronavirus, we held this year’s event again after taking all possible measures to prevent infection with the virus.

We again welcomed the world-famous conductor Eiji Oue from Germany. With the motto “Let's share the depth and splendor of music through German music” in mind, the event featured music by Richard Wagner, one of Germany's most famous composers, and Josef Franz Wagner, one of Austria’s most famous composers.

As usual, the program began with a lesson from Maestro Oue for the students, followed by a performance of the pieces. This year, members of the three great Kansai orchestras and other orchestras participated in both the lesson and the performance for support, giving the students detailed explanations and guidance on what the maestro was looking for in terms of performance and expression methods.
During the lesson, the students listened attentively so as not to miss a single word of Maestro Oue’s explanations about the background of the pieces and how to play them, and they were guided enthusiastically by the maestro.

Maestro Oue's soulful lesson touched the students' hearts. Although the concert was a joint performance by several schools, the performance was so powerful and rich in expression that it became clear from the sound that the students had become one through music.
As an encore, the students of the wind ensembles from all junior and senior high schools played “Under the Double Eagle,” the piece the junior high school students had performed in the first part of the concert. The audience rose from their seats and enthusiastically clapped along with the maestro, and at the end of the concert, the whole venue had become one in enjoying the music.
After the concert, the Maestro bumped fists with the students, the emcee, and the guest teachers, giving everyone a sense of accomplishment. In the questionnaire responses from the audience, we received comments that they were impressed by Maestro Oue's enthusiastic instructions and the students' hard work, as well as many requests to continue the event next year and beyond. One of the students who took the lesson commented, “I joined the wind ensemble without much thought, but under Maestro Oue's guidance, I learned how fun it is to play an instrument”.

Date & Time: November 6, 2022 (Sun), Start: 2 pm (Admission from 1 pm)

Venue: Amashin Archaic Hall

Performed by:
Amagasaki Municipal Osho Junior High School
Amagasaki Municipal Oshokita Junior High School
Amagasaki Municipal Nisshin Junior High School
Amagasaki Municipal Minami Mukonoso Junior High School
Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Senior High School
Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Oda Senior High School

Supported by:
Members of the three major Kansai orchestras and other orchestras, and members of the wind ensemble of Amagasaki Municipal Amagasaki Sosei Senior High School

Program:

Part 1

Piece: Josef Franz Wagner / “Under the Double-Headed Eagle”
Performed by: Amagasaki Municipal Osho Junior High School Amagasaki
Municipal Oshokita Junior High School
Amagasaki Municipal Nisshin Junior High School
Amagasaki Municipal Minami Mukonoso Junior High School
Members of the three major Kansai orchestras et al. (for support)

Part 2

Piece: Richard Wagner / Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral from the opera “Lohengrin”
Performed by: Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Senior High School
Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Oda Senior High School
Amagasaki Municipal Amagasaki Sosei Senior High School (for support)
Members of the three major Kansai orchestras et al. (for support)