Apr. 25, 2013
TMC to Hold 35th Toyota Lobby Concert
Products from Disaster Regions to be Displayed, Sold as Part of Kokoro Hakobu Project
Toyota City, Japan, April 25, 2013―Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), as part of its social contribution activities, will hold its 35th Toyota Lobby Concert on June 26 in the first-floor lobby of its Tokyo Head Office. The Toyota Lobby Concert, held since 1995, is being conducted as part of the Kokoro Hakobu Project, an initiative begun last year in 2011 to assist the recovery of the Tohoku region following the Great East Japan Earthquake that year.
The Japanese words "kokoro hakobu", written in the Japanese kana syllabary in the above logo, mean "to carry (or deliver) one's heart". The logo also shows a heart over northeastern Japan.
The concert program is divided into two parts, the first featuring an outstanding young musician from the world of classical music and the second a well-established jazz artist.
Headlining the classical program is violinist Kazuhito Yamane, a final-year high-school student who won The Music Competition of Japan as a middle-school student and has gone on to play with orchestras across Japan. The jazz program will be lead by trombonist Eijiro Nakagawa, who developed a taste for jazz at a young age and has enjoyed a distinguished career in the spotlight, playing for soundtrack recordings for movies and television shows. The pair will perform an exotic blend of tunes under the theme: "The Passion of Latin & Gypsy".
TMC will provide complimentary tickets to 360 residents of nursing-care facilities nearby its Tokyo Head Office as well as the general public. Those wishing to receive tickets should apply by following the instructions in the table below. Tickets will be mailed to successful applicants around June 13.
Headlining the classical program is violinist Kazuhito Yamane, a final-year high-school student who won The Music Competition of Japan as a middle-school student and has gone on to play with orchestras across Japan. The jazz program will be lead by trombonist Eijiro Nakagawa, who developed a taste for jazz at a young age and has enjoyed a distinguished career in the spotlight, playing for soundtrack recordings for movies and television shows. The pair will perform an exotic blend of tunes under the theme: "The Passion of Latin & Gypsy".
As part of Toyota's Kokoro Hakobu Project to assist the recovery of the Tohoku region, a variety of products made by people living in disaster-affected regions and imbued with their hopes for recovery will be displayed, together with production techniques, and sold to visitors on the day.
TMC will provide complimentary tickets to 360 residents of nursing-care facilities nearby its Tokyo Head Office as well as the general public. Those wishing to receive tickets should apply by following the instructions in the table below. Tickets will be mailed to successful applicants around June 13.
35th Toyota Lobby Concert - "The Passion of Latin & Gypsy"
| Date | June 26, 2013 | |
| Time | 18:30 to 20:00 (venue opens at 17:45) | |
| Venue | 1st floor lobby, Toyota Motor Corporation Tokyo Head Office, 1-4-18 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo | |
| Performers | Classical | Kazuhito Yamane (violin), Yoshitaka Suzuki (piano) |
| Jazz | Eijiro Nakagawa (trombone), Masaki Hayashi (piano) | |
| Host | Toyota Motor Corporation | |
| Assistance | Tokyo Voluntary Action Center, Bunkyo Voluntary Action Center, NPO Echo, Yamaha Corp., Wa Wa Project (of non-profit arts organization "commandN") | |
| Planning and production support |
1002 Co., Ltd. | |
| Tickets | Number of tickets: 360 To apply online, fill out an application at http://www.toyota.co.jp/lobby_concert/ (Japanese language only). To apply by mail, send a postcard with your name, address, age, telephone number, email address and number of tickets desired (1 or 2) to: Toyota Motor Corporation Corporate Citizenship Div. (Toyota Lobby Concert) 1-4-18 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, 112-8701 Ticket applications close on June 6. Postcards must be postmarked this date or earlier. |
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Artist Profiles
Classical
Kazuhito Yamane, violin
Born in 1995, Mr. Yamane took 1st place at the 79th Music Competition of Japan in 2010, becoming the first junior high school student to win in 26 years. He has performed with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa under the direction of such conductors as Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Michiyoshi Inoue, Naoto Otomo, Ken Takaseki, Junichi Hirokami, and Kazuki Yamada. He has also performed chamber music with the Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet. In 2011, Mr. Yamane became the youngest person ever to win the Yokohama Cultural Award / Yokohama Award for Art and Cultural Encouragement. He was the recipient of the Fiscal 2012 Rohm Music Foundation scholarship, and he currently attends Toho Gakuen Music High School on a full scholarship, under the tutorship of Koichiro Harada and Sachika Mizuno.
Yoshitaka Suzuki, piano
A graduate of the Tokyo University of the Arts' Faculty of Music, Mr. Suzuki won 1st place at the 71st Music Competition of Japan. He has performed with the New Japan Philharmonic, Gunma Symphony Orchestra, and others. He is active as both an accompanist and in chamber music, frequently appearing as an official accompanist at music festivals and concerts around the world, while performing with a wide range of musicians during recitals, on the radio, and for recordings. From 2012, as part of the Japan Foundation for Regional Art-Activities program, Mr. Suzuki teamed up with clarinetist Yoshinobu Kamei for a Japan tour as Duo Resone. He is nurturing a new generation of musicians as a music instructor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.
Jazz
Eijiro Nakagawa, trombone
Mr. Nakagawa began playing the trombone at the age of 5. While a student at The Music High School Attached to the Tokyo University of the Arts' Faculty of Music, he began performing jazz and classical music live. He has also performed on recordings in a wide range of genres, including movie and TV drama soundtracks. In 2007, he became the first Japanese musician to perform at the Tony Awards. Mr. Nakagawa also participated in the Super Trombone recording featuring the world's leading jazz trombone players. In 2008, he released his fourth solo album, "E", and teamed up with Makoto Ozone for a six-city tour of Japan. He gained further attention that year as a performer on the soundtrack for the NHK TV mini-series Hitomi. Mr. Nakagawa currently serves as a jazz instructor at the Kunitachi College of Music.
http://www.eijiro.net/
Masaki Hayashi, piano
Mr. Hayashi was born in Tokyo in 1978. While a student at Keio University, he launched his professional career on a South American tour with Takio Ito & Takio Band. He currently performs as a soloist and in an eclectic range of units, including the Stewmahn quartet, Naruyoshi Kikuchi and Pepe Tormento Azucarar, Salle Gaveau, Eric Miyashiro EM Band, and Archaic. He has also performed with many diverse artists including Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Iwao Furusawa, Ryota Komatsu, Toshihiro Nakanishi, Kimiko Itoh, and Rolly. Mr. Hayashi composed the theme music for such TV programs as NHK Heart-net TV and Document 20min.
http://www.c-a-s-net.co.jp/masaki/
Kazuhito Yamane, violin
Born in 1995, Mr. Yamane took 1st place at the 79th Music Competition of Japan in 2010, becoming the first junior high school student to win in 26 years. He has performed with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa under the direction of such conductors as Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Michiyoshi Inoue, Naoto Otomo, Ken Takaseki, Junichi Hirokami, and Kazuki Yamada. He has also performed chamber music with the Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet. In 2011, Mr. Yamane became the youngest person ever to win the Yokohama Cultural Award / Yokohama Award for Art and Cultural Encouragement. He was the recipient of the Fiscal 2012 Rohm Music Foundation scholarship, and he currently attends Toho Gakuen Music High School on a full scholarship, under the tutorship of Koichiro Harada and Sachika Mizuno.
Yoshitaka Suzuki, piano
A graduate of the Tokyo University of the Arts' Faculty of Music, Mr. Suzuki won 1st place at the 71st Music Competition of Japan. He has performed with the New Japan Philharmonic, Gunma Symphony Orchestra, and others. He is active as both an accompanist and in chamber music, frequently appearing as an official accompanist at music festivals and concerts around the world, while performing with a wide range of musicians during recitals, on the radio, and for recordings. From 2012, as part of the Japan Foundation for Regional Art-Activities program, Mr. Suzuki teamed up with clarinetist Yoshinobu Kamei for a Japan tour as Duo Resone. He is nurturing a new generation of musicians as a music instructor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.
Jazz
Eijiro Nakagawa, trombone
Mr. Nakagawa began playing the trombone at the age of 5. While a student at The Music High School Attached to the Tokyo University of the Arts' Faculty of Music, he began performing jazz and classical music live. He has also performed on recordings in a wide range of genres, including movie and TV drama soundtracks. In 2007, he became the first Japanese musician to perform at the Tony Awards. Mr. Nakagawa also participated in the Super Trombone recording featuring the world's leading jazz trombone players. In 2008, he released his fourth solo album, "E", and teamed up with Makoto Ozone for a six-city tour of Japan. He gained further attention that year as a performer on the soundtrack for the NHK TV mini-series Hitomi. Mr. Nakagawa currently serves as a jazz instructor at the Kunitachi College of Music.
http://www.eijiro.net/
Masaki Hayashi, piano
Mr. Hayashi was born in Tokyo in 1978. While a student at Keio University, he launched his professional career on a South American tour with Takio Ito & Takio Band. He currently performs as a soloist and in an eclectic range of units, including the Stewmahn quartet, Naruyoshi Kikuchi and Pepe Tormento Azucarar, Salle Gaveau, Eric Miyashiro EM Band, and Archaic. He has also performed with many diverse artists including Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Iwao Furusawa, Ryota Komatsu, Toshihiro Nakanishi, Kimiko Itoh, and Rolly. Mr. Hayashi composed the theme music for such TV programs as NHK Heart-net TV and Document 20min.
http://www.c-a-s-net.co.jp/masaki/
