Final Concerts for all Participants!
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The International Summer Academy and Festival 2026, organized by the Japanese-German Philharmonic Society,
will be held from August 14 to August 21, 2026, at the Saitama Arts Theatre in northern Tokyo.
Lessons will take place with piano (two or four hands, or two pianos), ensemble, and orchestra.
The Masterclass offers young conductors and singers the opportunity to work with an experienced faculty and a professional orchestra.
The Masterclass is open to all conductors of orchestras, brass bands, and choirs, with no age limit.
It is also open to those who wish to begin studying conducting.
Participants will receive essential instruction in orchestral conducting from experienced teachers.
The purpose of the Masterclass is to foster individual musical excellence and to develop and support conducting skills and talent.
Each participant will have the opportunity to rehearse with the orchestra for up to 60 minutes.
Venue: Saitama Arts Theatre
Faculty: Naoki Sugiyama
Languages: Japanese, English, German
Orchestra: The Symphonic Academy Orchestra of Japanese German Philharmonic Society
Application and Enrollment Information:
Number of Participants: 20(maximum 22) (There will be no division by course type.)
Applications for both active participants and auditors will be accepted from November 1, 2025.
Registration will be processed in the order of receipt of payment (course fee for participants, auditing fee for auditors).
Applications will close once the maximum number of participants has been reached.
Active participants will take part in seven hours of lessons per day (including breaks) and will receive approximately 20 minutes of podium time daily.
Applications for auditors will be accepted until July 30, 2026.
Those who wish to take this course will need a basic understanding of music theory, such as harmony and solfeggio.
Program Content:
Conducting and score analysis sessions with piano
Practical conducting sessions and final performances with orchestra
A detailed schedule and repertoire list will be provided to the participants at a later date.
All participants will conduct the orchestra in one of the
final concerts.
Each participant will receive a
Certificate of Participation (Zertifikat).
Those who pass the diploma examination will receive a
Diploma Level 1 or
Level 2 certificate.
Diploma Examination for Conductor:
There are two levels of diploma examinations:
Diploma I and
Diploma II.
Diploma I corresponds to the entrance examination level of a European university conducting department.
Diploma II corresponds to the level of the first diploma in a European university conducting program.
Participants who are attending the
Conducting Masterclass of the Japanese-German Philharmonic Society for the
fourth time or more are eligible to take
Diploma I.
Participants who have already obtained a diploma in the past, or who have passed Diploma I, are eligible to take
Diploma II.
The diploma examination consists of approximately
20 minutes of conducting with the orchestra.
For details regarding the content and required repertoire of the diploma examination, please contact the organizers.
Dates: August 15th - August 21st, 2026
August 14th: 14:00–19:00 - Lesson with Piano and Analysis
August 15th: 9:00–17:00 - Lesson with Piano and Analysis
August 16th: 9:00–17:00 - Lesson with ensemble
August 17th: Free day
August 18th: 9:00–12:30 - Lesson with Orchestra 1
August 18th: 13:30–17:00 - Lesson with Orchestra 2
August 19th: 9:00–12:30 - Lesson with Orchestra 3
August 19th: 13:30–17:00 - Lesson with Orchestra 4 and Diploma Examination
August 20th: 13:30–17:00 - Lesson with Orchestra 3
August 20th: 18:30–21:00 - Rehearsal and Closing Concert 1 by Faculty
August 21st: 13:30–17:00 - Rehearsal and Closing Concert 2 by Students
August 21st: 18:30–21:00 - Rehearsal and Closing Concert 3 by Students
Program:
Gustav Mahler - Symphony No.4 G-Major (Universal/International Mahler Gesellschaft 1963)
Gustav Mahler - Kindertotenlieder (Universal/Philharmonia)
Gustav Mahler - Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Universal/Philharmonia)
Gustav Mahler - Rückert Lieder (Universal/Philharmonia)
Richard Wagner - Wesendonck Lieder)
Johannes Brahms - Variationen über das Thema von Haydn Op. 56b (Breitkopf&Härtel/Dover)
Ludwig van Beethoven - Egmont overture(Breitkopf&Härtel/Dover)
Zoltan Kodaly - Tänze aus Galanta(Universal/Philharmonia)
Each participant must choose at least one complete work and two songs.
Fees:
Adult (25+): 1200 Euros
Early bird fee Early bird fee 1,000 Euros Apply and pay by March 30. 2026 to take advantage of the early bird rate.
Student of Music Universities/Colleges under 25: 600 Euros (Only 4 spots for music students)
Fee for Diploma examination:
(Only for whom, who applies Diploma examination) 300 Euros
The cancellation policy is as follows:
Full refund (excluding bank transfer fees) for cancellations made on or before March 31, 2026
Partial refund (course fee minus €300) for cancellations made on or before June 30, 2026
No refund for cancellations made on or after July 1, 2026
Application:
Applicants are requested to send their full name, nationality, age, and a short description of their musical education (school, instruments, experience in conducting, teachers, etc.).
The bank account details will be provided once your application has been accepted. Please transfer either the full participation fee or the observer fee corresponding to the number of days you plan to attend.
The date on which the participation fee is received will be regarded as the official application date.
Please use the contact form below.
If you do not receive a response from the Japanese-German Philharmonic Society within one week after sending your message, please check your spam or junk mail folder to ensure that the reply has not been filtered there.
Inquiries / Application
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