10th Wind Instrument Academy a Huge Success

HAMAMATSU, JAPAN (August 17, 2004) — The 2004 Hamamatsu International Wind Instrument Academy and Festival was one of the best in its 10-year history. The 18 faculty members were all internationally renowned professors from Europe and America, as well as Japan. This year's faculty represented many of the world's greatest musical institutions, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, New York Metropolitan Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Symphony, Milano's l'Scala Orchestra, The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute, Hanover Music School, Yomiuri Symphony and the Japan Philharmonic. This very impressive faculty made for a musical experience the students will treasure for the rest of their lives.

133 students and 250 auditors attended five days of classes under these masters, and were treated to several world-class performances during the event. Each teacher gave his or her seven students individual lessons, which were open for the others to observe creating an almost continuous master class. The participants ranged from young students to established professionals eager to further hone their musical skills. Most of the students were Japanese, but several also attended from Taiwan and Korea. Each teacher was supported by a translator; an accompanist was also provided for each class so the students were able perform their solos with piano for a deeper musical experience.