Sounds of classical music in Japan
There’s a host of classical concerts to enjoy on an 11-day tour of Tokyo organised by Renaissance Tours in November 2024.
MUSIC lovers have found that Japan is the perfect holiday destination to see some of the world’s leading symphony orchestras in concert.
And in November, Renaissance Tours is hosting its 11-day Japan Music Tour which includes six concerts featuring leading international orchestras.
The first two concerts on the tour feature the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Andris Nelsons, with the second concert featuring Soviet-born Israeli-American pianist Yefim Bronfman playing a program of Beethoven and Strauss.
Another tour highlight is acclaimed British conductor Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra performing works by Bruckner and Beethoven.
In addition to the symphony concerts, the tour includes a performance of the opera William Tell, a rarely-performed work of Rossini in the French grand opera style.
The Japan Music Tour from November 15-25 is led by Christopher Lawrence, who has spent 40 years in music and media including recording, writing, television and radio. He has been awarded an International Emmy for Performing Arts, three ARIA Awards and a Churchill Fellowship.
Lawrence has been leading Renaissance Tours for more than 20 years and will present talks throughout the tour.
Evan Petrelis, managing director of Renaissance Tours which was established in 1996 and is regarded as Australia’s leading operator of special interest and cultural tours in music, opera, ballet, art, architecture and gardens, said that Japan has become popular for cultural tours.
“It has become a favourite destination for the world’s leading symphony orchestras to perform,” he said.
“With Tokyo’s huge population these orchestras play to full houses every night – the Japanese love Western classical music.
“It also means that international music lovers will gladly travel there to see conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle – and Japan is much closer than Europe!”
Petrelis said that Renaissance Tours organised a similar Japan tour last year which featured several orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, but after the October 7 terror attack the IPO performances were cancelled.
Petrelis said that most participants on Renaissance Tours are from Australia.
“We are an Australian company largely catering to the Australian market, although about 10 per cent of travellers come from other countries, especially New Zealanders and some Canadians,” he said.
“We have people who have been travelling with us for all of those 28 years since our first tours,” he said.
Other reasons that people join a Renaissance Tour is to enjoy the company of those who love the arts.
“People like travelling with like-minded participants on tours that are led by experts, offer exclusive access to places, include the best seats in the house and where all arrangements are taken care of by a professional team,” said Petrelis.
“On any tour we have seven to eight out of 10 participants being repeat travellers, so we aim to offer new tours each year.”
On the Japan Music Tour there is plenty of free time for personal sightseeing as well as organised visits to arts attractions, according to Petrelis.
“The tour includes private access to the rehearsal studio at the Tokyo College of Music which has nurtured aspiring musicians since its opening in 1946,” he said.
“And there’s a private guided visit to the Tokyo National Museum, as well as visits to the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, the Imperial Palace East Gardens and Tokyo’s ‘Art Triangle’ of attractions.”
For more information about Renaissance Tours’ Japan Music Tour from November 15-25, visit renaissancetours.com.au
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