The Ryukyu Philmarmonic “IO” Chamber Orchestra is preparing for a string of three performances starting this month.

The Ryukyu Philharmonic Orchestra is ready for the first regular concert of the season, featuring its Chamber Orchestra IO.

The Thursday, July 18^th concert has doors opening at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. concert at Palette Kumoji Civic Theater, 1-1-1 Kumoji, Naha City.  Admission for all non-reserved seats is ¥3,000. Children under age seven should not attend.  Tickets are available at Palette Civic Theater (098-869-4880), Ryubo Department Store (098-867-1171), Bunkyo Harmony NAHA (098-854-1313), and Fukuhara Music Store (098-938-9375).

The program consists of Kreisler: Praeludium and Allegro, Pachelbel: Canon in D, Dvorak: Serenade for String Orchestra in E Major op.22 2^nd Mov., Elgar: Serenade for Strings in E minor Op. 20 2^nd Mov., Barber: Adagio for Strings op.11, Walton: Two pieces for Strings, Puccini: Crisantemi, and Elgar: Introduction and Allegro op.47.

This is a music culture project of Okinawa between “Palette Civic Hall” which commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Naha municipal organization and was opened in 2003, and “Ryukyu Philharmonic Orchestra” which makes Naha its base. The chamber orchestra “IO” is the chamber orchestra organized by the members of the Ryukyu philharmonic orchestra.

The origin of “IO” is an exclamation of Latin which are words of Bach’s cantata No. 140, “Hermitage Music Project in Okinawa” that was held at Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum in February, 2013. From this month, a total of three concerts are planned as a regular concert of the chamber orchestra “IO”.

Ryukyu Philharmonic orchestra started performing as a professional orchestra from October 2009 for the purpose of contributing to the community by classical music. As the classical music of Europe has spread to the world, and the orchestras are organized in many countries, contributing to the culture of the area, education, international exchange, and more. Therefore, the level of orchestra becomes a barometer for the cultural level of the country and area.

In order to widen the cultural base in Okinawa and aim for excellence, the existence of an outstanding classical orchestra is indispensable. Ryukyu mainly cherishes its original culture that spread through exchanges with East Asia about 500 years ago, and the flow is inherited continuously even now. It is said that the identity and sensitivity, which have been cultivated in the history appear as being able to add “peculiar warmth” into music.

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