Sapporo Symphony Orchestra

Kitara Concert Hall Sapporo

The Sapporo Symphony Orchestra ( Japanese 公益財団法人札幌交響楽団 , Kōeki Zaidan Hōjin Sapporo Kōkyō Gakudan , short: 札響 , Sakkyō ) is a professional Japanese symphony orchestra that was founded on July 1, 1961. There is also the Sapporo Amateur Philharmonic Orchestra ( 札幌フィルハーモニー管弦楽団 ).

It is headquartered at the Kitara Concert Hall in Sapporo , Hokkaidō , and is a regular member of the Japanese Orchestra Association . Matthias Bamert is the chief conductor, Tadaaki Otaka is the honorary music director and Radomil Eliška is the honorary conductor. With around 77 members and around 120 performances annually, the orchestra is the only professional orchestra in Hokkaidō. In 1980 it received the Hokkaidō Culture Prize.

The orchestra regularly gives subscription concerts in the Kitara concert hall and commissioned concerts around the world. It is especially dedicated to the music education of children, gives concerts in schools and has, for example, a "wind instruments clinic" ( 吹奏楽楽器クリニック , Suisōgaku Gakki Kuriniku ), in which children are trained in using wind instruments and can exchange ideas with professionals.