In 1951, it started to receive financial support from Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and was renamed the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Since then under world renowned conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Ernest Anserme, Josef Keilberth, Lovro von Matačić, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Lorin Maazel to name but a few, and with the world’s most sought-after soloists, it has continued to make outstanding performances which have gone down in history.
In August 2013, it made its first appearance at the Salzburg Festival, and in spring of 2020, it toured nine cities in Europe including Berlin and Vienna, earning high international acclaim for its performances and activities.
Presently the NHK Symphony Orchestra presents about 120 concerts annually across Japan, including 54 subscription concerts, which are broadcast nationwide via NHK television and FM radio and some of which are introduced to the world audience through international broadcast services. As a social contribution, part of its essential activities, the NHK Symphony Orchestra has been engaged in a variety of projects such as a school-visiting program called NHK Music Club for Children, the N-Kyo Hotto Concert designed for the whole family to enjoy, chamber music concerts to sooth and cheer up people in disaster-stricken areas and hospitals, and the NHKSO Academy to foster next generation musicians.
In the 2000th subscription concert to be marked in December 2023, Mahler’s Symphonie der Tausend, which was voted for by our fans, will be performed under the baton of Chief Conductor Fabio Luisi.
Conductors who are closely associated with the NHK Symphony Orchestra include Fabio Luisi (Chief Conductor), Charles Dutoit (Music Director Emeritus), Herbert Blomstedt (Honorary Conductor Laureate), Vladimir Ashkenazy (Conductor Laureate), Paavo Järvi (Honorary Conductor) and Tadaaki Otaka (Permanent Conductor),and Tatsuya Shimono (Permanent Conductor).