Rochester, NY—Sixteen string students from the Eastman School of Music will play in the Hiroshima Peace Concert 2005, a special event that takes place in Phoenix Hall at the International Conference Center in Hiroshima, Japan on Friday, August 5 th.
More than 180 people—including an orchestra, chorus and soloists—will perform Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. The orchestra will consist of professional musicians from all over the world, students from the best music colleges in Japan, and 16 students from the Eastman School of Music.
The City of Hiroshima’s mission for this concert is “to rekindle the memory of Hiroshima and draw public attention to the nuclear weapons abolition.” By combining American and Japanese students in the orchestra, Hiroshima officials want to send a message of hope for world peace through music.
“Music, indeed, has the power to help heal the world’s wounds,” says Dean James Undercofler. “I am proud that the City of Hiroshima chose the Eastman School of Music to represent American music students at this historic concert.”
During their stay, the Eastman students will also perform twice as a string ensemble (10 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 2 double basses, plus a conductor)—at an underground shopping mall, and at the Nippon Bank Building for an arts and music festival.
The students departed early Friday, July 29 th from the Eastman School of Music, and arrived in Hiroshima Saturday evening. On Saturday, August 6 th, the students will attend a Peace Memorial Ceremony and the Hiroshima Concert for Peace 2005 in Peace Memorial Park. (Not to be confused with the August 5 th one-time-only Hiroshima Peace Concert 2005, the Hiroshima Concert for Peace 2005 is an annual commemorative concert that takes place on the actual anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.) The students will leave Hiroshima on Sunday, and arrive back at Eastman School at approximately 10 p.m. on August 7 th.
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*Note to editors and reporters : a high-resolution photo of the group’s last rehearsal at Eastman School before heading to Hiroshima (7/28/05) is available on request. www.rochester.edu/Eastman