As the days gradually grow warmer, March is a lovely time to get out and about.
To herald the arrival of spring, the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a Spring Concert.
It is not only children who will take the stage.
They will perform classical music alongside people from the local community, including university students and former orchestra members. For the children, who have continued practicing with the support of those around them, the Spring Concert is truly the culmination of their efforts. You can look forward to a lively performance.
We spoke with the organizers about “The 18th Spring Concert” and the thoughts behind their activities.
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in March 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra’s “The 18th Spring Concert”?
The Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra’s “The 18th Spring Concert” will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026. It will take place at Toka Gakudo Hall at Kurashiki Sakuyo University.
The Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra is a junior orchestra for children, founded in 1984. Guided by the principle of “personal development through orchestra activities,” it values not only improving musical skills but also fostering children’s social skills and ability to work together.
With the effects of the declining birthrate and aging population, in recent years not only children but also former members, students from the Faculty of Music at Kurashiki Sakuyo University and the Music Department of Sakuyo Junior College, and members of Ensemble Hayashima have been working together as a community to create music. The orchestra has also produced many professional musicians, and one of its distinctive features is that members can receive direct instruction from professionals who perform in Japan and abroad.
The “Fundamentals Course” for beginners also offers careful instruction tailored to each child’s level. The concert will include a stage featuring only course participants.
“The 18th Spring Concert” is a showcase of how the children continue to grow.
The program is as follows. You may recognize some of the pieces.
- Verdi / Triumphal March from the opera “Aida”
- Mozart / Overture from the opera “The Magic Flute”
- Bizet / “L’Arlesienne” incidental music: Suites No. 1 and No. 2
Admission is free, but an admission ticket is required. Please apply for an admission ticket using the application form.
The Spring Concert is a chance to feel the arrival of spring. We spoke with music director Ejima Mikio, oboe instructor Kozuki Masako, orchestra alumna Miyake Yumi, and a course instructor about the ideas behind the event and its highlights.
Interview with the organizers
The thoughts behind “The 18th Spring Concert”
Could you tell us how the Spring Concert came about?
Ejima
Originally, the summer regular concert was the main opportunity for the members to perform. The Spring Concert began because we saw how hard the members were practicing and wanted to give them more opportunities to perform.
At the time, we had just signed an agreement on music and cultural education exchange with Kurashiki Sakuyo University, so we were able to use the university’s music hall (the Toka Gakudo Hall, which is also the venue for this concert).
In this era of a declining birthrate and aging population, I hope we can continue activities that nurture children through music together with people in the community.
How did you choose the pieces to perform?
Instructor
The pieces we’ll perform this time are all familiar, well-known works that people have probably heard at least once on television or in commercials.
The course participants, who appear first, will perform Verdi’s Triumphal March. We chose a piece they could enjoy performing, suited to their progress. Their instructor says they seem to enjoy practicing every day. The course participants are making great progress as they prepare for the concert, so we hope you’ll come and listen.
The orchestra’s selections—Mozart’s “The Magic Flute: Overture” and Bizet’s “L’Arlesienne”—were chosen at the request of the members.
The course participants performed “L’Arlesienne” at the 2025 regular concert, and it seems that after hearing it, the orchestra members thought, “We want to play that too.” The suite consists of many pieces, but this time we’ll perform Suites No. 1 and No. 2 back to back.
One unusual highlight is the inclusion of the saxophone (commonly called the “sax”), which is often featured in wind band music, so be sure to listen out for it.
Who would you like to hear this performance?
Ejima
We’d like people of all ages to come and listen, including the members’ families and friends. In particular, we hope the members’ friends might be inspired to say, “I want to do that too!” So please come and see your peers perform.
The children’s growth as seen by their instructors
What is the atmosphere like during regular rehearsals?
Kozuki
The atmosphere is friendly, and the children enjoy practicing. Of course, we give focused instruction before performances, but we are not strict in a drill-sergeant way at all. We aim to create an environment where the children can play freely and express themselves.
The members range widely in age. During breaks, I often see older children looking after younger ones or chatting happily together.
In addition to these regular rehearsals, most recently we held a lobby concert at Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel. The members performed in small groups, and I feel that their awareness and enthusiasm have grown even more, perhaps because the experience of connecting with local people through music gave them confidence.
What was the lobby concert like?
Miyake
This was our first attempt, planned both to introduce people to our orchestra, which has been active for many years in Kurashiki, a city of the arts, and to help the children rediscover the power of music.
At the ensemble lobby concert, the children who are orchestra members performed in groups led by them, with support from instructors. They also prepared during regular rehearsals, actively sharing their ideas with one another.
On the day, just under 50 people stopped to listen. It became a truly wonderful space where the audience, the members, and the hotel staff all smiled happily. I think it was a concert where the community could support the children as they worked hard to perform.
It was a moment when we brought to life our guiding principle of “supporting and nurturing children as a whole community.”
There is less than a month until the concert. How are the members feeling after the lobby concert?
Kozuki
Having successfully performed in small groups has given them confidence, and they seem more motivated than ever now.
As the concert approaches, people from the community and music university students are joining rehearsals one after another. The members also seem moved by how the scale of the sound grows throughout the process.
We’ll do our best to deliver a powerful performance on the day.
Watching the children thrive through music and nurturing them in the community
Finally, could you tell us again about the highlights of the course participants’ and orchestra’s performances?
Instructor
I think you’ll be moved by the adorable course participants as they work so hard. Please come and see them feel the music with their little bodies and perform with such energy.
The orchestra performs as a team bringing together people of all ages. It is a stage where the whole community makes music together, with current music students from Kurashiki Sakuyo University, members of Ensemble Hayashima, and our orchestra’s alumni. Enjoy a powerful ensemble performance you can hear nowhere else.
Would you like to share a brief message with our readers?
Ejima
Please come and hear the performances by these children, who are working so hard.
Instructor
The Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra hopes to continue its activities while welcoming even more members. We look forward to finding new friends through the Spring Concert.
Kozuki
The children’s potential right before a performance is truly remarkable, and I’m constantly amazed by how much they grow. I hope you’ll come and experience their energy for yourself.
Miyake
There are many ways to support the children’s activities. Supporting them doesn’t just mean playing alongside them; coming to events where they perform is also an important way to support them as a community.
We’ll bring you a performance that lets you feel the moving power of music—the way “many people work together to create a single harmony”—and inspires you to carry that feeling forward.
From the Writer
Through this interview, I was reminded that the Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra is more than just a performing group—it is an important place where the community comes together to nurture children.
Even if today’s members grow up and eventually have fewer opportunities to perform, I believe that a life enriched by knowing the power of music will be all the richer.
Come along to enjoy the lively music the children make and cheer them on as they give it their all.
The spring audition for new members is also scheduled for April 26 (Sunday). Updates on their regular rehearsals are posted on Instagram and Facebook, so be sure to take a look if you’re interested.
Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra “The 18th Spring Concert” Information
| Name | Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra “The 18th Spring Concert” |
|---|---|
| Date | March 29, 2026 (Sunday) Doors open at 1:00 p.m. Concert begins at 2:00 p.m. |
| Location | 3515 Tamashima-Nagao, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Website | Kurashiki Junior Philharmonic Orchestra website |
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