| Kioi Hall, constructed to commemorate
the 20th anniversary of the founding of Nippon Steel Corporation（NSC）
as well as the merger of Yawata Steel and Fuji Steel, opened on April
2nd, 1995. It is named after a prestigious district in central Tokyo.
With an 800-seat Western-style classical music hall and a small 250-seat
Japanese-style traditional music hall, it drew attention as a venue where
the music of East and West meets. |
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| Behind the debut of Kioi Hall lies
a long history of Nippon Steel Corporation's involvement in music. Nippon
Steel was established in 1970, and the company's support of the development
of music culture goes back to the 1950s when its predecessor started sponsoring
a popular classical music radio program. In 1990, on the 20th anniversary
of its foundation, the company established the Nippon Steel Music Awards,
further demonstrating its support of music culture. |
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 In
line with this tradition and to extend further support to the musical
culture of Japan, Kioi Hall was set up together with the Nippon Steel
Arts Foundation, which provides managerial functions for the hall. Simultaneously,
Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo （KST）was established as the resident chamber orchestra
and also as a stage to foster talented artists through public performances
at Kioi Hall. As an undertaking that realized these objectives, Kioi Hall
and KST attracted much attention and set a new trend in the music scene
in Tokyo.
Today, Kioi Hall is busy presenting
recital or chamber concerts as the leading hall for classical concerts
in Tokyo. What was extraordinary was that Kioi Hall earned from the very
outset a great reputation for ideal acoustics. Distinguished artists who
appeared in Kioi Hall unanimously praised the excellent sound and ambience
of Kioi Hall. |
 Kioi
Sinfonietta Tokyo（KST）was founded as the resident chamber orchestra of
Kioi Hall in 1995, and made its debut on April 2nd of that year, simultaneously
with the opening of Kioi Hall. With three leaders, Kazuki Sawa, Yasushi
Toyoshima, and Koichiro Harada, the orchestra comprises 46 top-class artists.
The musical advisor and chief conductor of the KST, Tadaaki Otaka,（Laurel
honored conductor from September 2003）has brought KST to being one of
the leading chamber orchestras of Japan. The KST holds ten subscription
concerts with five programs at Kioi Hall a year. The four-day rehearsal
for each program is also held at the hall.
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 In
the autumn of 2000, KST performed at six cities in the Netherlands and Austria. On this maiden European tour, KST received the highest acclaim at all of the concerts held in venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Mozarteum in Salzburg, and Musikverein in Vienna. The artists with whom KST has worked in the past include Trevor Pinnock, Mario Brunello, Gerhard Bosse, Christoph Poppen, Hartmut Haenchen, Heinrich Schiff, Augustein Dumay, Steven Isserlis, Nathalie Stutzmann, Alicia de Larrocha, and Emmanuel Pahud, etc. |
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| In August 2002, KST became independent,
approved as a Non Profit Organization by the Metropolitan Government.
As a result, KST is expected to be even more active, its members playing
an increasingly greater role. In the spring of 2005, KST will appear at
the "Dresdner Musik Festspile 2005" as the Festival's Resident
Orchestra. |
KST
has been formally invited to participate in the Dresdner Musik Festspiele,
the largest musical event in Germany held from May 13 to 29, 2005, the
year that happens to be KST's tenth anniversary. KST will have the unusual
honor of being the resident orchestra of the Festival, presenting four
performances during the occasion. Herr Hartmut Haenchen , musical director
of the Dresdner Musik Festspiele, "fell in love at first sight"
with KST, discovering its competence when he was invited to Tokyo to conduct
KST's subscription concert in February 2003. This has led to the present
formal invitation of KST to appear in the Festival. 
