Arion-Edo Foundation

■ EstablishmentSeptember 1985 ■ Mission

1. Award and support young promising musicians

2. Organize and sponsor music festival

3. Organize and sponsor concerts and lectures regarding music

4. Hold cultural exchange with other countries

5. Undertake other projects necessary to achieve the purpose of the Foundation

Activities:

Tokyo Summer Festival

An annual music festival is organized in cooperation with Asahi Shimbun, the leading quality newspaper company in Japan. Thought up in 1985 by Kyoko Edo (pianist), Maki Ishii (composer) and Tashi Funayama (musicologist), they joined hands to plan a truly international music festival in Tokyo at a time when there was no such event in Japan. This epoch-making festival is the first in Japan planned and directed by professional musicians. It takes place about three to four weeks during the month of July and presents performances of various arts. Many outstanding artists from abroad perform under a single theme which is different from year to year.

Arion Afternoon Concert

Arion Afternoon Concert series was started in 1985 as a forerunner of weekday afternoon concert programs. This program is specifically tailored to music lovers for whom it is inconvenient to be out at night and for the convenience of those coming to enjoy the concerts from far away. The program varies from recitals over chamber music, baroque or contemporary concerts, instrumentalists and vocalists, all on a very high qualitative level.

Arion Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize and promote the activities of young musicians. The recipients of the award's prize money are newcomers to the field (performers, composers, or academics; individuals or groups) whose activity demonstrates great promise for the future. Furthermore, in some cases, their artistic endeavors are supported in the long term by providing opportunities to perform or by providing some degree of financial assistance for tutelage abroad.

Minao Shibata Award for musical criticism

With the aim of encouraging outstanding music critics, Minao Shibata Award for musical criticism was established in 1996 to recognize the achievements of the late music critic Minao Shibata, who had served on the judging committee for Arion Award. The award is held bi-yearly, by general invitation to music critics. The subject of judging is thesis on the music arts, or thesis on musical composition or performance.

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