Website: http://www.lfj.jp/lfj_2011e/

Date: April 28 to May 5, 2011
Country: Japan

La Folle Journée originated in the north-western French city of Nantes in 1995. Being the brainchild of arts advocate René Martin, its aim was to make classical music accessible to the public by way of initiating shorter concerts with cheaper tickets, and an exciting, distinctive theme each year. The concept has expanded to other countries and cities, including Japan.

With the theme ‘Les Titans’ in the 2011 edition, the festival rises its curtains with Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major, Op.77 performed by violinist Tedi Papavrami and Sinfonia Varsovia under Geroge Tchitchinadze’s baton. The conductor will then lead the orchestra in a collaboration with pianist Dezsö Ránki to perform Wagner’s Siegfried-Idyll for orchestra in E major. Violinist Kyoko Takezawa will further join the orchestra to present Berg’s Violin Concerto “À la mémoire d’un ange (To the Memory of an Angel)”. Mahler’s Symphony No.1 in D major “Titan” will be presented on stage by Orchestre Philharmonique de l’Oural under Dmitri Liss’s conducting. Boris Berezovsky will then join the orchestra to bring the audience Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat major Op.83 Kazuhiro Koizumi will lead Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in a concert for children, performing selected works by J. Strauss I & II and Brahms.