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  UP Arco performance in Florence, Italy (2016)

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  Guest speech at the JAO Festival Tokyo Conference (August 2024)

Professor Edna Marcil “Michi” Martinez of the University of the Philippines, who has led her students in numerous JAO-hosted events, has generously contributed a research paper on amateur orchestra activities in Asia for publication on our website.

Professor Martinez’s biography is detailed in the paper, but to highlight her credentials: she is an accomplished violist and the esteemed director of UP Arco – the University of the Philippines String Orchestra. Since 2011, she has actively led her students in JAO-hosted festivals, the TYOC, and other prestigious initiatives, fostering international musical exchange. Most recently, in August 2024, she was invited as a guest speaker at the public lecture of the JAO Festival Tokyo Conference, further solidifying her role as a leading figure in the global amateur orchestra community.

Through her engagements with Japan, Professor Martinez conducted an in-depth study of the distinctive characteristics of Japan’s amateur orchestra activities. Expanding her perspective to include the Philippines and other Asian regions, she developed a comparative cultural analysis, which she successfully compiled into her doctoral dissertation.

The version published here is a specially edited version of Professor Martinez’s doctoral dissertation, with a focus on her insights into Japan’s amateur orchestra scene and its cultural exchanges. Her analysis provides a clear and comprehensive perspective on these activities, offering a profound understanding of their essence and significance. This work is a testament to her sharp academic vision and deep expertise in the field.

We invite you to download the PDF file below and explore the outstanding piece of scholarship. We hope that many of you will engage with Professor Martinez’s outstanding academic analysis. Once again, we extend our sincere gratitude to her for generously sharing her expertise with our global community.