The Tohoku Youth Orchestra, a mixed orchestra of elementary school to university students from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures, was started by Ryuichi Sakamoto immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
As a memorial performance for director Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away on March 28 of the previous year, performances in Iwate, March 23, 2024, Miyagi, March 30, and Tokyo on March 31 were held.
In addition to Ryuichi Sakamoto’s signature songs “The Last Emperor,” “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” “Aqua,” and “The Sheltering Sky,” which were also performed in his last piano solo concert work “Opus,” he also performed at the opening of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Sakamoto wrote “El Mar” for the ceremony. This work is a complete recording of a concert composed entirely of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s songs, including “Mediterrani” and “Japanese Soccer Song”, which is known as one of the anthems of Japanese soccer.
Sayuri Yoshinaga and Non participated in the reading corner.
The proceeds from the sales of this album will be used to fund the activities of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra.
Tohoku Youth Orchestra
The Best of Tohoku Youth Orchestra 2024 – Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto
Released on Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Release format: 2 CD set 3,850 yen (tax included)
Distribution (download/streaming)
Label: commmons
https://commmons.lnk.to/bestoftyo
[Recorded songs]
DISC 1
1. Japanese soccer songs
2. Anger – from untitled 01
3. Kizuna World
4. Yae no Sakura
5. Three TOHOKU Songs (Tairyo Uta Inclusion, Nanbu Yoshishare, Soma Bon Uta)
6. Time is ticking now
DISC 2
7. El Mar Mediterrani
8. “If I live with my mother” from “If I live with my mother”
Reading: Sayuri Yoshinaga | Ryoichi Wago “I want to be kinder than yesterday”
9.Still Life
Reading: Non | Kenji Miyazawa “Ippongino” “Winter and Galaxy Station”
10. Aqua
Reading: Sayuri Yoshinaga | Brendan Graham “You Raise Me Up” (translated by Atsuko Hayakawa)
11. The Sheltering Sky
12.The Last Emperor
13. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
14.Etude
[Tohoku Youth Orchestra Concert Information]
“Tohoku Youth Orchestra Concert 2025”
Date: March 21, 2025 (Friday) Daytime performance starts at 15:00 (doors open at 14:15) / Evening performance starts at 19:00 (doors open at 18:15)
Venue: Suntory Hall Large Hall
General ticket sale date: Saturday, January 25, 2025
Click here for details:
https://tohoku-youth-orchestra.org/concert_info
Conductor: Hisao Yanagisawa
Performance: Tohoku Youth Orchestra
Reading: Sayuri Yoshinaga
Moderator: Mari Watanabe
Guest: Ilya Bondarenko (violin), Yurie Miura (piano)
Songs scheduled to be performed
Ryuichi Sakamoto:
Piece for Illia
Tong Poo
Little Buddha
Now the time is tilted (commissioned work by Tohoku Youth Orchestra)
The Last Emperor
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Others *Track list is subject to change.
[Related release information]
Tohoku Youth Orchestra and Ryuichi Sakamoto
“The Best of Tohoku Youth Orchestra 2013-2023”
Release format: CD 2,800 yen (tax included) Product number: RZCM-77961
Distribution (download/streaming)
Label: commmons
Now on sale!
https://commmonsmart.com/products/rzcm-77961
Music director Ryuichi Sakamoto’s first collection of concert works by the Tohoku Youth Orchestra.
A selection of songs performed by past members of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra. Ryuichi Sakamoto played the piano.
Contains many famous songs such as “The Last Emperor”, “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence”, “Behind the Mask”, and the first recording of “Ima Jidai Kakutte”.
Photo credit: Photo by Ryuichi Maruo 2024 Tohoku Youth Orchstra
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