Entertainment

Free Concerts: Marching Bands and Wind Orchestras
Researched by Cornelia [18 January 2013]

In Tokyo there are tons of free performances (or nearly free), especially around December and early January, but also throughout the year. There's a Jazz and Pops Contest http://www.jazz-pops-contest.com/ for Wind Orchestra on 2013 Feb. 3 starting at 11 am for about 10-11 hours at Bunkyoku City Hall, but that has an entrance cost of about 2000JPY!

Here are just a few:

Saitama City Wind Band Association New Year Concert
2013 Jan. 20 at 13:00 near Omiya station.
http://sw-a.info
http://p.mixi.jp/sasuikyo and twitter @sasuikyostaff

Pentax Wind Orchestra
2013 Feb 2 at 13:30 near Asaka station (16 minutes from Ikebukuro via Tobu Tojo line)
Asaka City Hall Concert venue in Saitama prefecture.
https://sites.google.com/site/pentaxwindorchestra/

Summa Cum Laude
2013 Feb. 9 at 13:30 near Funabori station (Tokyo).
http://ameblo.jp/ijcowinds/ (blog) and http://www.facebook.com/scl.jp
This group will be participating in the International Festival of Wind Orchestras in Prague this year.

Ensemble Ferveur : 14th annual concert
2013 Feb. 10 at 14:00 near Ogikubo station (Tokyo).
http://www.ferveur.net They will play East Coast Pictures (Nigel Hess) among others.

Wind Factory
2013 Feb. 10 at 16:00 near Funabori station (Tokyo)
http://www.windfactory.org

Chuo and Bunkyo British Brass Band : Dream Brass 2013
2013 Feb 15 at 17:30 near Fuchu station (West Tokyo).
http://dreambrass.web.fc2.com

Owada Festa (Saxophone ensemble)
2013 Feb. 17 at 14:00 at Mitaka City Arts Center (15 minutes from Mitaka Station)
Bus stop 4 + 5 Yahatamae and Mitaka geijutsu bunka senta, 3rd stop
Email: owadafesta2 [at] gmail.com
Comic Opera "Heaven and Hell Overture" Offenbach, and more
Soloist and director, Masahiro Owata
Soloist Yuto Miyake

P'rhythm (clarinets only!)
2013 Feb. 23 at 14:00 at Bunkyoku City Hall.
Email: prhythm2006 [at] gmail.com t: 090-9675-7375

Hynemos Wind Orchestra
2013 April 6 at 14:00 near Kodaira station (Tokyo) with a program of British music!
http://www.hynemos.info and http://www.facebook.com/hynemos

Soul Sonority
2013 June 30 at 14:00 at Bunkyoku City Hall (near Tokyo Dome).
http://www.soul-sonority.org

Sophia University Marching Band (SMB)
http://jsbach.gozaru.jp/
Their holiday concert in mid-December has been held at Itabashiku's Bunka Kaikan Hall (between Mita subway and Tobu Tojo trains)

Der Kreis Blas (Brass) Orchestra Winter Concert (early January)
Their winter concert the second Saturday of January has been held at Bunkyoku City Hall by Tokyo Dome. They have a strong clarinet section at this time. They are recruiting musicians according to their web site).
http://derkreis.web.fc2.com/
http://blog.livedoor.jp/derkreis_blas/

The Chuo University Symphonic Band
http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~brass/

There are plenty outside Tokyo as well, for example:
Festa Symphonic Band (member All Japan Student Band Federation)
http://www.interq.or.jp/classic/iwataku/official/concert.html
Every year around Jan. 4, in Hyogo, Amagasaki city at Sogo Bunka Center Old Hall.

Details on some of the venues mentioned above:
Bunkyoku City Hall: Great Hall
(Korakuen subway station, Kasuga Station Toei, Suidobashi station JR)
1-16-21 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0003 tel: 03-5803-1103

I'm working on a list of brass bands that put on performances at least once a year, and hopefully it will be linked to from here very soon.

Do you know anything that should be added to this page? Please tell us.


Keyword Search:
This page last updated: 21 January 2013 Please Read our Disclaimer
Copyright 2013 Japan With Kids