When you hear the words “junior orchestra,” you might imagine a scene of lots of children performing.
However, the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra performs on a stage where people of all ages come together. The children are at the heart of it, and local residents also join in to enjoy making music together.
The Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual summer concert will be held for the 39th time in 2025.
Here’s an introduction to the program and highlights of the 39th Annual Concert.
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in August 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra’s “39th Annual Concert”
The “39th Annual Concert,” hosted by the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra, is a classical concert to be held on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
What is the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra?
The Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra is a children’s junior orchestra founded in 1984.
In Kurashiki, a culture of art had long taken root in the community, partly due to the influence of places such as the Ohara Museum of Art. However, many residents expressed a desire to “establish a culture of music in Kurashiki, too,” and in 1975, the “Children’s Violin Class,” the orchestra’s predecessor, was established to create a place where children could experience music.
The Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra was formed later.
Of course, the orchestra aims to improve its members’ skills, but it also values fostering children’s social skills, including communication, through ensemble playing.
As of 2025, the orchestra has about 40 members. Its members range from elementary school to university students, and attend different schools, live in different areas, and are of different ages.
The orchestra reportedly had more than 100 members when it was first formed, but in recent years, membership has declined due to the falling birthrate. As a result, in addition to children, students and alumni of the music departments at Kurashiki Sakuyo University and Sakuyo Junior College, as well as members of Ensemble Hayashima, have recently been creating music together with people from the local community.
There is also a “Basic Course” where children can learn how to play an instrument before joining the orchestra. The course is mainly for children from preschool age through elementary school, and even those who have never touched an instrument can receive instruction in a fun and supportive environment.
The orchestra’s three main activities are its summer annual concert, March spring concert, and volunteer concerts at hospitals. Members practice for each performance.
Overview of the “39th Annual Concert”
The 39th Annual Concert will be held at the Kurashiki City Geibunkan Hall.
The program features the following three pieces:
- Bizet / Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2 (arranged for the Basic Course)
- Beethoven / Egmont Overture, Op. 84
- Beethoven / Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, “Eroica,” Op. 55
The first piece, “Farandole” from L’Arlesienne, will be performed by students in the Basic Course. The Beethoven pieces in the second and third slots will be performed by orchestra members.
Tickets cost 1,000 yen for general admission and 500 yen for students up to and including university students. To purchase tickets, please apply using the reservation form.
We spoke with music directors Ejima Mikio and Yamashita Saki, as well as an instructor, about the 39th Annual Concert.
Interview with the organizers
Could you tell us the purpose behind the annual concert?
Ejima
We have held an annual concert since the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra was founded.
Our activities are supported by donations from local residents, and we also receive support in the form of the instruments essential to our work. We want to express our gratitude to the people in the community who support us.
Holding an annual concert also helps the children grow, and I think it gives them an opportunity to strengthen their bonds with one another.
The annual concert is something of a mission for a junior orchestra. We consider it a very important event.
What kind of pieces will you perform this time?
Yamashita
The students in the course will open with “Farandole” from Bizet’s L’Arlesienne. It is a famous piece that almost everyone has heard at least once.
Since the orchestra was first formed, students in the course have also taken on classical masterpieces, sometimes with arrangements and other adaptations.
Ejima
The two pieces we’ll perform are very famous works composed by Beethoven.
As our membership is also declining due to the falling birthrate, we chose pieces that would be rewarding to perform, even with a small ensemble. Both are challenging, but the children practice hard every day, and I can see them making steady progress.
What are the highlights of this concert?
Ejima
I hope you’ll watch the children as they take on these challenging pieces.
It’s rare to get the chance to perform a Beethoven symphony through the music classes taught at school. These are pieces that the children can take on precisely because they belong to this orchestra. Please pay attention to how closely the children can approach Beethoven’s music.
Yamashita
Watching the young children in the course perform with their whole bodies is sure to give you a boost. They’re adorable to watch, of course, but their energy is infectious too, so I hope you’ll enjoy listening to them.
Instructor
In an orchestra, every instrument has at least one part where it takes the lead. One of the highlights of an orchestra is hearing the same theme played by different instruments.
Each instrument’s strengths are put to good use, so paying attention to when each one comes in can offer a different way to enjoy the performance.
Who would you recommend this concert to?
Instructor
The performance will show how much the members have grown, so I hope many people will come and listen. We’d especially love to see not only the parents and guardians who watch over the children’s daily practice, but also their friends.
Yamashita
If you’re not familiar with classical music, you may not often get the chance to attend a concert. But I think seeing someone your own age perform on stage can be a great inspiration for a child. I’d recommend it to young children too, so please come along as a family.
What are the orchestra’s goals for the future?
Instructor
We want to welcome more people who will enjoy performing with us. The Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra is a place for exchange where children from different schools and of different ages can connect through their shared love of music. We would be happy if even a few more people found their way to music.
Also, orchestral sheet music is a universal language. The experience of having played a particular piece will surely come in handy someday when you make music in a different setting. Of course, we hope you will improve your skills, but we also hope you will learn to communicate in this way.
Yamashita
We hope to keep the orchestra active for a long time. We would like more people to come and hear us perform, and to continue growing our membership.
We want to build up the orchestra as a whole so that children in the training program can move up to the orchestra and continue to be involved as alumni after they retire from performing.
Finally, do you have a message for us?
Instructor
Music knows no boundaries of age or gender.
Including students in the training program, our members range from four-year-olds to university students, and they all perform together. We have also received support from people in the community, and in the past, a 70-year-old joined one of our concerts. We hope you will come and see people of all ages and genders gathering to communicate through music.
We would also be happy if this concert inspires more people to say, “I want to join in!”
Yamashita
Seeing is believing, so please come along to this concert!
We hope that seeing children their own age doing their best will inspire more people to take an interest.
From the Writer
For this article, I was able to observe a rehearsal.
Watching the children produce powerful sounds despite their small stature gave me a boost. I also saw firsthand how instructors specializing in each instrument provide one-on-one lessons, while people from the community interact with the members—truly creating music together with the local community.
I’m looking forward to hearing what kind of harmony they will create on the day.
Even if you don’t know much about classical music, I think the sight of the children working so hard will move you. If you’re interested, please come along on the day.
The fall audition to recruit new members will be held on Sunday, September 28. If you’re interested, please check it out.
Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra “39th Annual Concert” Information
| Name | Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra “39th Annual Concert” |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, August 17, 2025 Doors open: 1:00 p.m. Concert begins: 2:00 p.m. |
| Location | 1-18-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | General: ¥1,000 Students (university students and younger): ¥500 |
| Website | Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra |
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