Sunday, October 19, 2025
Salamanca Hall

*Gikyo Junior Orchestra
Conductor: Kazuo Komiyama
Concert Program: Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro Overture

*Immanuel Orchestra
Conductor: Atsushi Suzuki
Concert Program:
Elgar: Serenade for Strings
Anderson: Plink, Plank, Plunk!

*Joint Orchestra
Conductor: Kazuo Komiyama
Concert Program: Mozart: Symphony No. 35 (Haffner)

This was the Immanuel Orchestra’s second tour to Japan since 2023. A total of 20 young musicians traveled to Osaka, Nagoya, Gifu, and Tokyo over the course of 20 days, performing at various venues and participating in a wide range of cultural exchange activities.
This article reports on the Gifu performance, the “Immanuel Orchestra and Gikyo Junior Orchestra Joint Concert,” highlighting how music served as a bridge between Thailand and Japan, along with interviews with the young musicians.

About the Immanuel Orchestra

Thailand is home to several urban slums, the largest of which is the Khlong Toei district in central Bangkok. In 2000, a Norwegian missionary stationed there founded the Immanuel Music School with the cooperation of a local church, from which the Immanuel Orchestra was formed in 2015.
The school provides free music education for children whose opportunities for the future are extremely limited. Life in Khlong Toei is marked by poverty, discrimination, and the presence of drugs and crime. Yet encounters with music began transforming children’s lives, fostering strength, confidence, and hope.
Steady efforts continued to grow, and about 60 students now study music at the school, which has become one of the largest music education centers of its kind.

Four Days in Gifu

On Friday, October 17, after concluding their Nagoya performance, the Immanuel Orchestra traveled to Gifu City, where members of the Gikyo Junior Orchestra hosted a warm welcome ceremony.

Through welcome games, shared lunches, and sectional rehearsals, the students quickly bonded. Their combined rehearsals unfolded in a lively, friendly atmosphere.

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  Welcome ceremony

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  Welcome games

During their four days in Gifu, the Thai students stayed with local host families—members of the Gikyo Junior Orchestra as well as the Gifu Symphony Orchestra. These homestays became deeply meaningful experiences for both sides, and many families reported tearful farewells on the day of departure.

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  Experiencing many aspects of daily life

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  Sweet potato harvesting

The Exchange Concert

On Sunday, October 19, the two orchestras presented their Joint Orchestra performance at Salamanca Hall at 7 p.m.
After each orchestra performed individually, the baton was raised for their long-awaited joint performance: Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 “Haffner.”

The combined sound was filled with youthful vitality—clean, radiant, and exhilarating. Their cross-cultural harmony captivated the audience, who responded with long, enthusiastic applause.

Backstage, the young musicians exchanged words of gratitude and encouragement, and the smiles captured in the final group photograph conveyed pure, unguarded joy.

Continuing Exchange Between Thailand and Japan

After completing their full itinerary, the Immanuel Orchestra safely returned to Thailand, as reported on their official Facebook page.

Ms. Shigeko Kakogawa, Chairperson of the NPO Shine for You, has long supported the orchestra and played a central role in making this Japan tour possible.

On her website, she writes:

“Our hope is to plant a small seed of musical education—one that nurtures rich, vibrant inner lives in every child. We believe that music has the power to illuminate each child’s future, and, in time, to uplift entire communities.

Our mission goes far beyond training young performers. By helping children discover the many careers and possibilities connected to music, we aim to broaden their future pathways. Just as importantly, we strive to cultivate collaboration, leadership, and a sense of agency—the ability to think for themselves and take initiative—through their musical learning.

Through the joy of music, we want to bring courage and hope to the next generation in Japan and around the world. As we move forward, we remain committed to creating a world filled with children’s smiles and the possibilities that music can inspire.” (excerpt from the website)

The pure and sincere sound of Mozart that we heard at the exchange concert still lingers with us.
It is our sincere hope that the musical exchange—and the exchange of hearts—between Thailand and Japan will continue for many years to come, building upon the foundation created through this experience.
We also hope that NPO-WFAO can continue to play a meaningful role in supporting these connections.