Oct. 09, 2001
Toyota to Sponsor 12th Annual Classical Concert Tour in Asia
Toyota Classics - A World of Harmony -
Tokyo―TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) is proud to announce that it will be able to present to classical music fans throughout Asia Britain's vibrant and inspirational London Festival Orchestra, which will star in this year's holding of TMC's annually sponsored Toyota Classics - A World of Harmony.
This year's event―the 12th since TMC began sponsorship in 1990 in cooperation with Toyota distributors in various Asian nations―will take place in November and span a record 10 nations and territories, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. As in the past, the main goal of the tour will be to contribute to the development of musical culture and have people in various Asian nations enjoy a genuine classical music performance. Proceeds from each concert will be donated to local charities.
The London Festival Orchestra, is a popular British orchestra known worldwide for the precision and agility exhibited in its performances covering a wide variety of musical styles. Since its formation in 1980, the orchestra has, under its founder and music director, Ross Pople, broadly expanded its repertoire. Concerts such as Cathedral Classics, which has became popular all over Britain, and the annual Remembrance Sunday concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London have gained the orchestra acclaim by critics and audiences alike. The orchestra has performed in major concert halls throughout Europe as well as South America and the Far East (Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan).
Mr. Pople will serve as the orchestra's conductor in seven countries, while Thomas Woods, who performs mainly in Australia, will conduct in the remaining three. Judith Howarth, a veteran performer at the English National Opera and other venues in Europe and America, will fill the role of soprano.
Popular classical melodies to be performed during the tour will focus primarily on Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 3, as well as Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 4, and a collection of works by English composers, such as Benjamin Britten, William Walton, Ralph Vaughan Williams and G.F. Handel. Additionally, the orchestra will perform pieces with artists of each country to encourage international exchange through music.
An outline of the concert and selected profiles can be found on the following pages.
| Concert Tour Overview |
| Title | Toyota Classics: A World of Harmony | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purpose | To promote the musical arts in Asian countries through the performance of classical music | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | November 7 (Wed.) to 28 (Wed.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule | A total of 10 concerts in 10 Asian nations and territories (this year marks the 12th annual Asian tour)
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| Orchestra | London Festival Orchestra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Main Program | Brunei | William Walton: Spitfire Prelude and Fugue Gioacchino Rossini: Bel raggio lusinghier from Semiramide Christoph Gluck: "Dance of the Blessed Spirits" |
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| Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia |
William Walton: Spitfire Prelude and Fugue Robert Schumann: Symphony No.3 George Gershwin: "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess G.F. Handel: "Let the Bright Seraphim" from Samson Gounod: "Jewel Song" from Faust |
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| Singapore, Indonesia |
William Walton: Spitfire Prelude and Fugue Johannes Brahms: Symphony No.4 Benjamin Britten: "Soirees Musicales" |
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| Joint performance with local artists | Philippines: Leodigario B. del Rosario (tenor) / Puccini: Che Gelida Manina Taiwan: Catherine Michel (harp) and Chao-Che Liu (flute) / Mozart: Concerto for flute and harp K299(297c) Korea: Chee-Yun (violin) / Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, op.35 Vietnam: Bui Cong Duy (violin) / Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, op.35 |
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| Local songs | Brunei: Yadan Lancang Kuning, Dindang Di Dindang Thailand: Alexandra (a song composed by His Majesty the King of Thailand), Floor Feung Fa |
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| The London Festival Orchestra Formed in 1980, the orchestra is known worldwide for the precision and agility of its performances, covering a wide variety of music styles. Under Ross Pople, both founder and director, the orchestra has expanded it's repertoire and held performances in leading concert halls all over Europe. With the Cathedral Classics, encompassing the whole of Britain, Birthday Honours, The Four Seasons and the annual Remembrance Sunday concert at the Royal Albert Hall among others have delighted audiences. The orchestra is also frequently invited to perform in South America and has traveled to the Far Eastern nations and territories of Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. As many as 10 million BBC viewers, 6 million Classic FM listeners and tens of thousands of concert-goers agree that the London Festival Orchestra is an outstanding example of this century's music-making. As a leading newspaper in England, The Times, puts it, "Conducted by Ross Pople, the London Festival Orchestra is a brilliant example of balance, discipline and orchestra cohesion". |
| Ross Pople (Conductor) Ross Pople's discography consists of over 70 discs featuring the London Festival Orchestra, ranging from Bach and Handel to Schoenberg and Roxburgh. His latest release is the complete Haydn "London" Symphonies. He has conducted works of representative contemporary musicians such as Boulez, Penderecki, Lutoslawski, Berio, Henze and Bernstein. He also conducted George Benjamin's premier at Carnegie Hall in New York and the first public performance of Malcolm Arnold's 9th Symphony at the Royal Festival Hall. To date, Pople has commissioned 13 new compositions, the last of which premiered in September 2000―Edwin Roxburgh's epic work "Galileo". In 1980, Pople founded the London Festival Orchestra, an orchestra that mirrors his boundless creative energy and drive. In his Beethoven cycle at the Barbican and in his Birthday Series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Pople's intriguing and unusual programs, combining symphonic and chamber works, have delighted critics and audiences alike. |
| Thomas Woods (Conductor) Now resident in Sydney, Thomas Woods was born in Tanzania, but returned with his family to Perth in 1971. During his studies at the Western Australian Conservatorium, he conducted many operatic and choral productions. In 1989, he was a scholarship exchange student in Moscow. He then graduated from the W.A. Conservatorium and went on to conduct with the Australian Opera in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and other cities. He is currently active with the Queensland Ballet, the Opera Queensland and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia and elsewhere, as well. |
| Judith Howarth (Soprano) Judith Howarth studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and upon graduation joined the Royal Opera House as a principal soprano. She has sung Cressida in Walton's Troilus and Cressida, which was recorded and also won her the Gramophone Opera Award. She has been invited to and performed with high acclaim to a number of festivals in Europe, beginning with the Salzburg Festival. She made her American operatic debut with the Florida Grand Opera and also sang for the Santa Fe Opera and for the Washington Opera with Placido Domingo. She has performed with all the major British orchestras as well as the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Claudio Abbado, Nicholas Harnoncourt and Sir Simon Rattle are just a few of the world-famous conductors with whom she has worked. She made her debut last year at the English National Opera and continues to enthrall music lovers. |
