Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra

Founded in 1911, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO) was Japan’s first symphony orchestra. Today it comprises around 160 musicians and regularly performs symphonic and operatic repertoire with international stars. Myung-Whun Chung, who has conducted the TPO since 2001, is its Honorary Music Director; Andrea Battistoni is the orchestra’s Chief Conductor, and Mikhail Pletnev is Special Guest Conductor.

The orchestra performs regularly at Tokyo’s most distinguished halls, including Suntory Hall, Bunkamura Orchard Hall, and Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Its world-class reputation stems from a subscription concert series, regular opera and ballet assignments at the New National Theatre in Tokyo, and a rich programme of tours and educational activities within Japan and around the world.

Awards won by the orchestra include the Ongaku No Tomo Sha Prize (1984), the Agency for Cultural Affairs ‘Art Festival Prize’ (1986), and the ‘Art Festival Grand Prize’ (1995). Its recordings have won acclaim at home and abroad, regularly receiving the ACA National Arts Festival Award in Japan, while winning an ‘Opus Klassik’ award in 2021 (Symphonic Recording, 20th/21st century) and the ‘Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation Foundation for the Arts’ award in 2022.

The TPO performed overseas for the first time in 1973, playing seven concerts in four countries in Southeast Asia. In 1984, it played its first tour of Europe, with subsequent European tours and frequent performances throughout Asia cementing its international standing.

In 2011, Japan’s first symphony orchestra celebrated its 100th anniversary, holding its 100th Anniversary Concert in 2012 at Suntory Hall, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. Two years later, the orchestra’s centennial world tour of six major cities – New York, Madrid, Paris, London, Singapore, and Bangkok – was a global sensation.

The TPO resumed its rich tradition of overseas touring in 2024. Askonas Holt is proud to work alongside the TPO for its first tour of Europe with Maestro Chung in 2025.