NHK Symphony Orchestra centenary
The NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo (NHKSO) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, tracing its origins to its founding in 1926. The orchestra's director of artistic planning, Shoichi Nishikawa, described it as "a public treasure" and said that presenting a variety of genres is central to its continued social recognition and development. The centenary programming spans a deliberately broad repertoire, ranging from Bach and Beethoven to Pokémon music.
2026-27 season opening
The orchestra's 2026-27 season opens on Sept. 12 with conductor Fabio Luisi leading Franz Schmidt's monumental oratorio "The Book with Seven Seals," completed in 1937. The performance will be augmented with solo vocalists, a choir and an organ alongside the orchestra, leading to what the ensemble describes as an exuberant finale.
Death of Bill McGlaughlin
Bill McGlaughlin, the longtime classical music radio host of the program "Exploring Music," died at the age of 82, according to a published obituary. The host had been a familiar voice in classical music broadcasting for decades.
Follow-up signals
The next verifiable milestone is the Sept. 12 opening of the NHK Symphony Orchestra's 2026-27 season, which will be the orchestra's first concert under its centenary programming banner.
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