NPO World Federation of Amateur Orchestra（NPO WFAO）

The certified NPO WFAO was created in December 2007 through the initiative of WFAO (World Federation of Amateur Orchestra). WFAO was founded in 1998as an extension of the World Youth Orchestra Conference（WYOC）of 1991.

WFAO’s purpose is to promote orchestral practice for all members of society and to facilitate exchanges between the numerous amateur orchestras in the world. Its activities continue up to this date.
The certified NPO WFAO was founded to provide WFAO with solid administrative support. That support extends beyond national frontiers. NPO WFAO’s support is open to all those who requests its help or are willing to provide assistance.

NPO WFAO intends to amplify the worldwide activities of WFAO especially in helping regions in the developing world, such as parts of Asia or Africa to set up their own organizations and, as such, NPO WFAO aims extending orchestral activities all over the world.

NPO WFAO’s purpose is to contribute and extend, through orchestral practice, all the educational activities in the world, be it youth, adult, or life-long educational programs.

Sharing orchestral practice and promoting exchanges between players or orchestras all over the world crosses language, race, customs and cultural barriers in general through the common language of music because the music scores of Mozart or Beethoven remain the same and can be shared by all art lovers in the world, thus improving universal understanding. It is by contributing to common understanding beyond political, cultural, racial and language barriers that NPO WFAO intends to contribute, ever so little, to peace in the world.

Mission Statement

NPO-WFAO is a non-profit organization that aims at supporting the amateur orchestra activities and contributing to international cultural exchanges with the aim improving world-wide cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

Orchestral activities are a bridge between social and cultural endeavors .

An orchestra, allows society and individual to realize their dreams through long years of shared
cooperation.
We hope that sharing our cultural experiences will contribute to prepare the coming generations to create and build their own dreams

To vibrate at unison with the hearts of friends world-wide

We activities bring together peace-loving friends form all over the world without distinction of age Nationality, race or skill but united in once single purpose. We believe that beyond the language barriers we share our love a music and our hearts vibrate in unison through music.

We share a mutual respect for each of our cultural back-ground

We hope to improve our reciprocal understanding of each others culture sharing venues, Promoting exchanges of ideas between group leaders and youth participants and contribute to
mutual understanding and education.

We hope to realize the dream of a world sounding in harmony like an orchestra

Is scores and instruments are available an orchestra is a community that vibrates together.
And orchestra joins people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality and we hope to see one day
the realization of our dream of a world vibrating together like a large symphony orchestra

Wｅ love orchestral music and, overcoming many obstacles, Wｅ have fought to spread orchestral practice because Wｅ feel that it is the best means to express my love for humanity and contribute to peace in the world.

Main activity contents

  • ◆Joint concerts with players from all over the world.
  • ◆Meetings with conductors, performers, composers, promoters to analyze how to improve and extend WFAO’s activities in the world.
  • ◆Programs inviting youth from Asia and aiming at improving human ties through joint study and performances.
  • ◆Through the inviting foreign amateur players to annual Japan Amateur Orchestra Festival, NPO-WFAO try to help amateur musicians making good relationships with foreign people and making matured international solidarity especially with Asian region people.
  • ◆Support of Orchestra activities in developing countries
  • ◆Information sharing through the Internet

History

There were process and the results such as follows up to a current organization.

1991Mar.

Establishment of the World Youth Orchestra Conference （WYOC） in Tokyo with participation of representatives from 9 countries
WYOC Inaugural Message

1992Mar.

Second General Confernce of the WYOC in Nagoya with the participation of 15 countries ( From that date on the Conference became an annual event)

1993Mar.

Opening of the World Youth Orchestra Festival with the participation of 15 countries in Nagoya

1996Aug.

World Youth Orchestra Festival in Tokyo with the participation of 17 countries

1998Aug.

Meeting of the World Youth Orchestra Conference and foundation of the adult World Federation of AmateurOrchestras (WFAO) in Kanazawa

1999Sept.

World Amateur Orchestra Federation Board of Directors meeting in Venezuela

2001Aug.

World Amateur Orchestra Festival in Nagoya with the participation of 14 countries.

2004Sept.

General Assembly of the World Federation of Amateur Orchestras in the Netherlands with the participation of 18 countries.

2005Aug.

World Amateur Orchestra Festival held in Nagoya on the occasion of the Aichi PrefectureWorld Fair with the participation of 12 countries.

2007May

WFAO General Assembly in Shanghai and discussion about the possible creation of NPO WFAO

2007Dec.
Foundation and registration of NPO WFAO in Toyohashi City (Aichi Prefecture)

WYOC Inaugural Message

March 30, 1991 Tokyo

In the spring of 1991, the Federation of Japan Amateur Orchestras (JAO) called on several leaders of foreign orchestras to meet in Japan. This meeting, declared the first WYOC, was attended by representatives from Japan, the United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Austria, the US, Singapore, and the People’s Republic of China.)
We, as leaders of youth orchestras around the globe, do hereby establish the World Youth Orchestra Conference to help promote communications and activities among affiliated groups.
We aim at promoting music practice in many countries and regions to promote the healthy development of youth.
With that in mind, we intend to develop their sense of beauty, elegance, refinement and forge their temper through orchestral practice. We understand that in this age of multiplicity, different countries and races differ in their tastes and appreciation of music. We are aware that international tensions psychologically affect today’s youth but we also hear the cry for a better humanistic and formative education for future generations.
With this background in sight, it is also important that teachers and coaches do not limit themselves to selecting the most gifted and talented young musicians but rather aim at the full development of musical sensibility and human development in a broad sense.
It is with this objective in mind that we aim at developing a sense of value in young people because it will increase their feeling of identity as well as the capacity to see through world’s complex realities.
Now that our century is ending and that we are at the doorsteps of the 21st century, we need to intensify our efforts to widen our horizons and respectfully search to improve our network, cooperation and respect for the educational as well as formative processes for new generations. This will be achieved through new friendships and cultural activities that will open new prospects for all youngsters in the world.
We confirm the effort to hold a World Youth Orchestra Festival ’93 in Nagoya City, Japan for the purpose of making a communication and information forum available to youth orchestras and their leaders throughout the world.