JONATHAN NOTT EXTENDS TENURE AS MUSIC DIRECTOR OF
THE TOKYO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA THROUGH 2025/26 SEASON
The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, (Hideo Sawada, Chairman) has announced that Jonathan Nott, who has served
as Music Director since 2014, will be extending his tenure to March 2026. Mr. Nott first appeared with the Tokyo
Symphony Orchestra in October 2011 (at the 593rd Suntory Hall Subscription Concert & 32nd Kawasaki
Subscription Concert), where this single joint performance was the decisive factor leading to his appointment as
the next Music Director, in which it was announced in the following year in October 2012 that Mr. Nott would be
serving as the 3rd Music Director from the 2014 season on a three-year contract. Mr. Nott is currently in his 2nd
season and will continue to come to Japan to conduct performances four times per season for a total of eight
weeks.
Originally the Orchestra was planning to announce that Mr. Nott’s extension was through March 2020, but the
night before the press conference on September 7, 2015, Mr. Nott suggested an extension his tenure through
2025/26. The Orchestra immediately discussed this and came to announce this pleasant news at the press
conference at 2p.m.
“Ever since I was a teenager I have had a passion for fast motor cars, and my favourite amongst them all was the
McLaren F1 that won the 1995 Le Mans 24-hour race with Masanori Sekiya, legend of Japanese racing, at the
wheel: British design architecture, Bavarian BMW powerhouse, and Japanese skill. ” said Jonathan Nott. “ I
don’t suppose it is very likely that I will ever drive, let alone own, one of these cars, but in October 2011 when,
after 5 days work together – three days rehearsal, two concerts, one programme – these wonderful musicians of
the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra asked me to be their next chief conductor, I bought myself a model of this racing
car as a symbol of what we were going to do together: British architect, Japanese skill, a rich and powerful
German sonority, and most importantly, exciting music-making and a fast and varied musical journey. What a
fantastic orchestra and a very special audience. I am honoured that we have decided so soon to continue this
partnership.”
Junji Ohno, Managing Director of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra comments, “All of the orchestra members are
quite pleased that we have had Mr. Nott with us as Music Director from 2014, and we couldn’t be happier to be
able to continue to bring to our audiences his improvisational style of music with the latest European sound and
innovative programming with Mr. Nott as Music Director.”
Jonathan Nott
Music Director, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Jonathan Nott took over as Music Director of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra performing the triumphant
Symphony No.9 by Mahler for his inaugural concert with the orchestra in April 2014. Mr. Nott made his debut
with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in October 2011 and was immediately offered the post of Music Director.
Mr. Nott has been Principal Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra since 2000 and In January 2017 he
will become Music and Artistic Director of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. He was elected by an
overwhelming majority from both the orchestral musicians and members of the board.
Mr. Nott has regularly toured with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, visiting the USA, South America, China,
Japan, the Salzburg Festival and the BBC Proms. Following their acclaimed performance of Wagner’s Ring cycle
in 2015, Mr. Nott and Bamberg Symphony Orchestra returned to the Lucerne Festival in August 2015 for a
concert performance of Verdi’s Falstaff.
Mr. Nott is an inspiration to young musicians. In March 2013 he made his debut with the Junge Deutsche
Philharmonic and, at the request of the players, was offered the position of Principal Conductor and Artistic
Advisor which he took up in the summer of 2014. Mr. Nott’s guest conducts the world’s leading orchestras
including the Berlin, Vienna, New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Tonhalle, Leipzig Gewandhaus,
Dresden Stasskapelle, Chicago Symphony and Bayerische Rundfunk Symphony orchestras. During 2014-15, he
will return to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, as well as
debuts with the Wiener Symphoniker at the Musikverein and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
Mr. Nott studied music at Cambridge University, singing and flute at the Royal Northern College of Music in
Manchester, and conducting in London.
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1946 and has a reputation for giving first performances of a number
of new contemporary music and opera. Through these activities, the orchestra has received most of Japan’s major
music awards such as the Minister of Education Award, the Grand Prix of Kyoto Music Award, Mainichi Art
Award, Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Award and Suntory Music Award. In 2013, the orchestra received the
Kawasaki City Culture Award, which is given to an individual or organization in recognition of their remarkable
efforts in developing and advancing culture and the arts in Kawasaki City. Since becoming the resident orchestra
of the City of Kawasaki in 2004, a semi-resident orchestra agreement with the City of Niigata in 1999, and a
partnership agreement with Hachioji College Community & Culture Fureai Foundation in 2013, the orchestra
has been enthusiastic for school concerts and community concerts. Moreover Tokyo Symphony Orchestra has
been regularly performing various operas and ballets at the New National Opera Theatre, Tokyo since its opening
in 1997. Outside of Japan, the orchestra has performed 71 times in 53 cities since 1976.
In 2016, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 70th anniversary.
http://tokyosymphony.jp
***
http://tokyosymphony.jp