Tokyo symphony orchestra to perform tribute to Chick Corea

As the days get steamier and wetter, maybe going out to see Tokyo’s many attractions is not something you’re motivated to do. Why not try something unusual to scare away the melancholy and Japanese summer blues?

Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, one of the country’s premier ensembles, will be performing in a special series on two nights at the gorgeous Suntory Hall near the American Embassy on July 17-18.

In the “Tribute to Chick Corea,” audiences will be treated to works by the Grammy-award winning composer, as well as two of Corea’s favorite composers, Maurice Ravel and George Gershwin.

Corea died last year at the age of 79 and left behind a legacy of his life’s work as a jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and percussionist.

The concerts will feature the Trombone Concerto composed in 2020 by the late musician and commissioned by Joseph Alessi, a legendary trombonist and the New York Philharmonic’s principal player. Alessi will also be joining the concerts to perform and will be joined by conductor Alan Gilbert, formerly of the New York Philharmonic.

Try something new and enjoy some beautiful music this summer!

Left: Joseph Alessi, Right: Alan Gilbert (photo by Rikimaru Hotta)

TMSO Special: Tribute to Chick Corea

DATE: July 17 and 18, 2022 (same program)

OPEN: 2 p.m. (hall opens at 1 p.m.)

VENUE: Suntory Hall (1-13-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, a 20-minute walk from Hardy Barracks)

TICKETS: S: 8,000 yen, A: 7,000 yen, B: 6,000 yen, C: 5,000 yen, P: 4,000 yen

URL

TEL: 0570-056-057 (Mon-Fri, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

Program

George Gershwin: Cuban Overture

Chick Corea: Trombone Concerto (2020) (Japan Premiere)

Maurice Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole

Maurice Ravel: Boléro

Performers

TROMBONE: Joseph Alessi (principal trombonist of New York Philharmonic)

ORCHESTRA: Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

CONDUCTOR: Alan Gilbert (former music director of New York Philharmonic)