The 9th Junior and Senior High School Brass Band Open Lesson Concert with Kiyotaka Teraoka
On June 15, 2025, the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation held the "9th Open Lesson Concert for Junior and Senior High School Wind Bands" at the Amashin Archaic Hall.
As in previous years, world-renowned conductor Maestro Teraoka (Kiyotaka Teraoka)—active internationally, particularly in Europe—was invited to work with the students, this time focusing on the music of Richard Wagner.
The program followed the established format: first, the students received a lesson from the Maestro, followed by a complete performance.
Prior to the opening, Mayor Matsumoto of Amagasaki gave an address, speaking about the city's ties with Augsburg, Germany, and the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation’s contribution to German-Japanese cultural exchange.
For both the lesson and the final performance, members of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra as well as active soloists supported as instructors, helping explain and demonstrate the performing techniques and expressions the Maestro asked for.
During the lesson, the students listened intently so as not to miss a single explanation about the background of the music or performance techniques, fully concentrating on the Maestro's guidance.
Maestro Teraoka carefully explained the story and background of the pieces, enabling the students to gain a deeper understanding of the composer's intentions.
As a result, each student was able to develop a richer imagination, and in the performance after the lesson, they presented an interpretation full of expressive power.
At the end, the wind band students surrounded the audience to perform the encore piece, "Radetzky March."
The audience responded with enthusiastic clapping, and the concert concluded in an atmosphere of energy and unity.
Audience questionnaires included comments such as:
“Each time the sound changed with the conductor's advice, I was deeply moved, and my sense of the music's world expanded.”
There were also many voices expressing the wish for the concert to continue in the coming years.
From the participating students we heard impressions such as:
"Until now I focused mainly on the score, but through the lesson I learned to watch the conductor in order to express the music more richly."
Or: "By imagining the background of the piece and the feelings of the composer while playing, I was able to enjoy the performance even more."
Guided by Yanmar's cultural value of "HANASAKA", believing in and nurturing human potential, the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation will continue to support the musical activities of junior and senior high school students.