Toyota To Make Music Again In Brunei
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan – Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is to present to classical music fans throughout Asia including Brunei the artistic talents of the Northeast German Philharmonic Orchestra, as a part of this year’s Toyota Classics - A World of Harmony.

In Bandar Seri Begawan there will be a performance on October 4, Saturday at the International Convention Centre (ICC), which Her Royal Highness Princess Masna will sponsor.

The charity event which Her Royal Highness is expected to grace will begin at 8.30 pm.

Ms. Susanna Henkel, one of the most remarkable violinists of her generation, will accompany the orchestra in Kuala Lumpur, Bandar Seri Begawan, Manila, and Jakarta. She was awarded top prizes in international competitions such as the renowned Queen Elizabeth Competition.

This year’s event—the 14th since TMC began sponsorship in 1990—will take place from October 2 to 15 in 6 cities, including Jakarta, Hanoi and Bangkok, Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Lumpur and Manila.

Conducted in cooperation with Toyota distributors in Asia, the tour will contribute to the development of musical culture by bringing classic music to the people of Asia. Proceeds from each concert will be donated to local charities.

The Northeast German Philharmonic Orchestra belongs to the Theatre Vorpommern, which was born in 1994 by the combination of two theatres, the Theatre Greifswald founded in 1914 and Theatre Stralsund founded in 1916. The orchestra has participated in a number of notable music festivals.

Conducting the performance of this concert tour will be Koji Kawamoto, a Japanese conductor. He has been conducting numerous Japanese symphony orchestras including the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. He also conducts various opera performances. He is one of the most promising young conductors.

Classical melodies to be performed during the tour will focus primarily on pieces written by Beethoven, Dvorak, and Weber.

Additionally, the orchestra will perform pieces with local artists from each country, such as Vietnamese pianist Dang Thai Son, to encourage international exchange through music.Northeast German Philharmonic Orchestra

The Northeast German Philharmonic Orchestra belongs to the Theatre Vorpommern, which was born in 1994 by the combination of two theatres, the Theatre Greifswald founded in 1914 and Theatre Stralsund founded in 1916. The Theatre Vorpommern consists of 280 members including orchestra players, opera singers, choir, ballet dancers and actors/actresses. The orchestra holds three regular concerts every month and 20 special concerts a year and participates in the numerous music festivals. In the Greifswald-Bach Week, the orchestra performs mainly the works of Bach as orchestra-in-residence. Since 1994, they have been participating in the International Festival of Meclenburg, one of the famous music festivals in summer. Their performances are often broadcasted live at North German and Berlin radio stations. Among more than 150 candidates, Koji Kawamoto, a Japanese conductor, won the position of a principal conductor of the Vorpommern Theatre. Music Director is Mathias Husmann, who has been invited to conduct numerous orchestras including Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich and NHK Symphony Orchestra.

Koji Kawamoto, Conductor

Koji Kawamoto was born in 1972. He graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1995. Studied conducting with Hiroshi Wakasugi, Hiroyuki Odano, Francis Travis, Gustav Meier and Sergiu Celibidache. He won third prize in the conducting division of the 10th Tokyo International Music Competition in 1994. His debut was in January 1995 conducting the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kyusyu Symphony Orchestra. He has been conducting numerous Japanese symphony orchestras including the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. He also conducts various opera performances and had great success. In May 2001, he appeared at the Theatre Vorpommern to conduct the Northeast German Philharmonic Orchestra in the opera gala concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of Verdi’s death. This concert, which was his debut in Germany, led him to be commissioned as a principal conductor of this theater.

Susanna Henkel, Violin

Susanna Henkel was born in 1975 into a family of German and Japanese musicians and began to take her first violin lessons at the age of two. In 1997 she won the renowned Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels and the International Violin Competition in Seoul. In 1998 and 1999, she was awarded first prize in the International Violin Competition Tibor Varga as well as in the German Music Competition in Berlin, and the International Violin Competition Markneukirchen (Germany). As a soloist, she has performed with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Salzburg Mozarteum Symphony Orchestra, and more. She has been a featured guest artist at major festivals such as the Ansbach Bach Weeks, and the Ludwigsburg Castle Festival. In 2001, when she released her first CD of performances for solo violin, she received resounding praise from critics in leading music publications. She plays a violin made by Giovanni Battista Rogeri in 1705.

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