Features
Results of the Second Preliminary Round: Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
Announcement of the Results of the Second Preliminary Round for The Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
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Results of the Second Preliminary Round: Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
Announcement of the Results of the Second Preliminary Round for The Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024 Contestants who are listed below have passed the Second Preliminary Round of the Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024 The Final Round of the...
Features
Results of the Second Preliminary Round: Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
Announcement of the Results of the Second Preliminary Round for The Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
read more…
Results of First Preliminary Round: Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
The announcement of the Results of the First Preliminary Round for The Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
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Holding of the Contestants’ Briefing : Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
The contestants’ briefing for the Competition was held on Sunday, October 6 read more…
Announcement of Contestants : Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
The Competition in 2024 received 291 applications from 37 countries/regions.
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Application for selection: Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024
Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024 applications must be submitted between read more…
Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024 – Regulations (2024)
Please see below for regulations of the “Tokyo International Conducting Competition” read more…
Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024 – Outline and Name Change Announcement
The Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting, which has been held every three years since 1967, will be renamed read more…
Argentine “BA Style” Kickoff Meeting Held
The Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Japan and the Min-On are jointly working on a project, “BA Style” to introduce the fascination of Buenos Aires. read more…
Min-On Competition Provides Hope to Conductors—Kentaro Kawase, the 2nd place in the 14th competition
The Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting was launched to discover and foster talented conductors domestically and abroad. The Min-On sponsored competition, held every three years will mark its 19th time this fall read more…
Music is Hope—Min-On Concert: The Norwegian Girls Choir
Music reaches the hearts of people. It allows us see things that were invisible to us, and it can also open doors that were locked shut. With every concert, Min-On encounters not just the joy of sharing art from all over the world but also the thankful voices of audience members who found themselves spurred to begin a new chapter in life. read more…
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🎶 Welcome to Min-On’s Music Journey No. 95: Republic of Tajikistan! 🌍✨
Today, the Min-On Concert Association and the 🇹🇯 Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in Japan 🇯🇵 welcome you to Tajikistan. 🏔️🎵
The musical culture of Tajikistan combines the unique essence of the Tajik people with Persian, Chinese, and Indian elements. 🎼🌏 Our journey also features the charm of traditional dance and costumes.
There are many distinctive traditional musical genres in Tajikistan, including shash maqam, a fusion of voices 🎤, instruments 🎻, and literary poetry 📜, and falak, the traditional folk music of the southeastern and mountainous regions. ⛰️🎶
We hope you enjoy your music journey to Tajikistan! 🎵✈️ Please look forward to our next destination. 🚀🎼
www.min-on.org/17218/
#tajikistan #minonmusicjourney #min_on #musicbindsourhearts
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Features Archive
Concert Review by Shinichiro Tokunaga—Min-On Cultural Lectures, Paraguay: The Berta Rohas Concert
For guitar lovers, among the nations of Latin America, Paraguay is special. It is, after all, the birthplace of the famed composer Agustín Barrios Mangoré. A biographical film about Barrios, Mangoré, For the Love of Art, was shown in Japan the year before last. In...
Patricia Vlieg’s Powerful Performance Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of Panama City
The Republic of Panama is a gateway connecting different worlds—the Panama Canal is a literal connection between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and Panama has shined throughout history as a cultural crossroads linking Spanish culture with the New World. Due to this...
My Dream to Hang a New Rainbow over Japan and Korea—Interview with Min Young-Chi, Traditional Musician and Percussionist
The day before the Min-On lecture concert on February 14, we interviewed Min Young-Chi after rehearsal, who plays instruments including the janggu drum. Aside from being a traditional musician, Min Young-Chi is an artist who has collaborated with musicians beyond the...
Uno, Dos, Tres! Pancho Amat Brings Vibrant Cuban Musicianship to Japan
In Cuba, music is fused into the daily rhythm of life, and spontaneous outbreaks of song and dance are common in the streets. The small Caribbean island’s contribution to the world’s rich diversity of musical styles includes Son, Trova, Salsa, Rhumba, Bolero and...
Min-On Music Museum Lecture Concert: Musical Rakugo by Cyril Coppini and Seiji Honda
On November 17, 2018, Cyril Coppini, Rakugo performer and member of Institut Français Japon of the French Embassy in Japan performed “Musical Rakugo” at the Min-On Music Museum Symposium Hall accompanied by pianist Seiji Honda. Approximately 200 people attended the...
Magnificent Reception to Commemorate the 55th Anniversary of the Foundation of Min-On Concert Association
On December 4, Min-On was pleased to welcome 40 ambassadors and embassy personnel, as well as guests from the corporate sector, private groups, the media and the music industry to the Min-On Culture Center for a reception to commemorate the 55th Anniversary of the...
Min-On Music Research Institute Annual Report Conference 2018
On October 6, 2018 at the TKP Ichigaya Conference Center in Tokyo, the Min-On Music Research Institue Annual Report Conference 2018 was held with the theme of “Human Rights and Musicking." "Musicking" can be defined as "any action related to music." The atmosphere of...
A Golden Bridge of Culture Connects the People and of China and Japan
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship and the 50th anniversary of a proposal calling for normalization of relations between China and Japan, delivered by Min-On founder Daisaku Ikeda—then president of Soka Gakkai—on...
Fabio Hager Dedicates Original Tango Compositions to Min-On Founder
Before embarking on The Soul of Maestros nationwide Japanese tour, Fabio Hager visited the Min-On Culture Center in Tokyo on January 16 with the members of his special ensemble. After being warmly welcomed by staff members of the Min-On Concert Association, Fabio...
Min-On Tango Series: The Soul of Maestros
Argentina—one of the most geographically distant nations from Japan—is a country that the Min-On Concert Association has engaged in cultural exchanges with since its early history. After launching the Min-On Tango Series in 1970 with an original installment by the...
Legendary Jazz Giants Inspire their Japanese Audience with Improvisation and Philosophy
Jazz was born in the African-American communities of New Orleans in the United States, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since then, many distinctive styles of jazz have appeared—free jazz emerged in the early 1950s, modal jazz followed in the late...
Commemorative Reception Celebrates Bahrain—Japan Partnership
On the evening of October 27, at the mid-way point of their Japan tour, the Bahrain Art Troupe took to the stage at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall for their Tokyo premiere. The capacity audience included H.E Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa, Director of Museums &...
H.E. Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa’s Heartfelt Message from the Kingdom of Bahrain
We are always driven in creating ways to reach one another and build bridges between us. This may take time, meanwhile more immediate connections may be established through culture, both in its tangible and intangible elements. Culture in all its forms is like magic...
Bahrain Art Troupe Introduces Extraordinary Arab Cultural Heritage to Japanese Audiences
The Kingdom of Bahrain is the only island nation in the Arab world, consisting of 33 natural islands and a series of man-made isles, collectively known as the “Pearls of the Arabian Gulf.” The Arabic word “Bahrain” means “two seas,” referring to the ancient assumption...
Min-On Music Museum Cultural Lecture and Concert Honoring Nelson Mandela
On August 8, at the Museum Hall in the Min-On Culture Center in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, the Min-On Music Museum sponsored a cultural lecture and memorial concert in tribute to the late South African President Nelson Mandela. The event was hosted in cooperation with the...
Singing Ambassadors of the Rainbow Nation Crossed a Mountain of Struggles
Drakensberg, which means “Dragon Mountains,” refers to the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment in the Republic of South Africa. This area has been officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its exceptional natural beauty, including spectacular rock...
Min-On’s World Choral Music Series
Inspiring Audiences across Japan since 1970 Choral music refers to music written specifically for a choir or chorus to perform. Each part in a piece of choral music is sung by two or more voices. Since the size of a choir can vary, naturally, the structure of a choral...
Overseas Dispatches of Japanese Artists to Singapore and China
Min-On Concert Association has played a major role in introducing Japanese culture and performing arts to other countries for the last half century. Since 1966, Min-On has promoted a program of overseas dispatches of Japanese artists, mirroring its program of inviting...
Interview with Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu of the China National Peking Opera Company (CNPOC)
Min-On: This is the fifth time for the CNPOC to be invited to Japan for a nationwide tour by the Min-On Concert Association. Please tell us about the CNPOC. Mr. Yu Kuizhi: The China National Peking Opera Company has a long history of cultural exchange with Japan,...
Performance of Classical Chinese Opera Masterpieces Mesmerizes Japanese Audiences
This year, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the People’s Republic of China in 1972, the Min-On Concert Association invited the internationally acclaimed China National Peking Opera Company to Japan for a...
Horacio Romo Dedicates Original Composition to Min-On Founder
Horacio Romo, together with the members of his special ensemble for the Japan tour of Dramatic Tango 2017, visited the Min-On Culture Center in Tokyo on January 20 before embarking on the nationwide tour. After being warmly welcomed by staff members of the Min-On...
The Bandoneon: Voice and Soul of Tango Music
A tango orchestra typically consists of bandoneons, violins, piano and double bass, in addition to guitar and drums, accompanied by singers and dancers of the tango tradition. Among these instruments, the bandoneon is perhaps the most key instrument in producing the...
Guaco Lands in Japan with their Energetic, Tropical Latin-Caribbean Sound and Passion
The musical cultures of the Caribbean are rich and diverse. Each island and nation has a unique cultural identity shaped by a different blend of colonial influences, the varied traditions of immigrant populations and the enduring legacies of native tribes. Over time,...
Min-On’s Public Outreach Activities Continue to Inspire Youth and Adults Alike
Min-On Concert Association was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1963, and two years later, it was legally recognized as a general incorporated foundation. It contributes to many public service undertakings through outreach programs, which aim to foster the...
Bibap: Beatbox Action Comedy—A New Flavor of Delicious Korean Musical
Bibap: Beatbox Action Comedy is a unique and highly entertaining Korean nonverbal musical. Its name sounds similar to Bebop—a style of jazz with complex harmonies and rhythms from the 1940s—but Bibap is something totally different from Bebop music. Bibap is indeed a...
The Unique Nonverbal Korean Musical Bibap Premiers in Six Cities Across Japan
Musical theatre is a genre of theatrical performance that combines dialogue, acting and dancing set to various genres of music to powerfully express a dramatic narrative on stage. After musical theater became very popular through New York City productions on Broadway...
Music and Dance are Irreplaceable Universal Tools to Foster Understanding Worldwide
Interview with Ms. Suzie Moya Benitez, Executive Director of the Bayanihan Min-On: Thank you so much for your wonderful performances yesterday and today in Tokyo. The Bayanihan has not performed in Japan since your last visit more than 20 years ago. What are your...
The Bayanihan Delights Audiences with Rich Diversity of Filipino Culture
The Republic of the Philippines is a remarkable island country consisting of over 7,500 islands surrounded by emerald green waters in the western Pacific Ocean. An ancient explorer described this beautiful island country as the “Pearl of the Orient...
Overseas Dispatch Renewing Friendship for Future Generations
“The basis of genuine world peace will be formed by the fostering of a mutual understanding through a grass-roots exchange that transcends distinctions of race, nation and ideology. To this end, exchanges in art and culture will be indispensable. Music, dance and...
The China National Acrobatic Troupe Mesmerizes Audiences throughout Japan
In this beautiful Japanese spring season, the Min-On Concert Association presented a spectacular performance by the China National Acrobatic Troupe through the support of the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo. Their nationwide tour, including a total of 53 shows in 27 cities...
Min-On Music Museum’s Cultural Lectures, Workshops and Free Concerts
The Min-On Music Museum is one of only a handful of music museums in the world. Located in Shinanomchi, Tokyo, this valuable repository of musical artifacts houses over 300,000 items, including antique pianos, music boxes and various ethnic instruments displayed in a...
The Idan Raichel Project Offers a Cross-Cultural Experience for Israel and Japan
Half a century ago, very few ordinary citizens of Japan had the opportunity to enjoy concerts performed by first-rate foreign artists. After its founding in 1963, the Min-On Concert Association invited the internationally acclaimed pianist Frank Pelleg from the State...
An Epic Dance Showdown — The Battle 2015
The Min-On Concert Association has offered a wide range of musical, cultural and educational programs to an ever-growing audience for over 50 years. They have contributed to music and art flourishing wildly among the general public and cultivated artistic sentiments,...
“Crested Ibises” — Interview with Zhu Jiejing and Wang Jiajun
Diversity Itself Is the Music of Ecuador Interview with H.E. Leonardo Carrion Eguiguren, Ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador to Japan Since a special preview performance was held in Tokyo in October last year (reported in the 2014 autumn issue of Harmony), a wide...
Min-On Music Research Institute Launched with Four Distinguished Research Fellows
Elaine Sandoval speaks at the launch of the Min-On Research Institute Since its foundation in 1963, the Min-On Concert Association has hosted nearly 80,000 cultural performances and concerts, welcomed more than 110 million concertgoers, and its network of cultural...
The New La Juan D’Arienzo Graces the Min-On Tango Series
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Min-On Tango Series, a long-standing cultural exchange program between Japan and Argentina. Launched in 1970 with a Japan tour of the internationally renowned Orquesta Jose Basso, the series has continued annually with many...
Sino-Japanese Friendship Dance Drama “Crested Ibis” Premieres in Tokyo
On the evening of October 7, the Min-On Concert Association, in collaboration with the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group, staged a successful Japanese premiere of the dance...
Harp of Burma Recalls the Power of Music
The Myanmar harp, called a saung-gauk or simply saung, is one of the earliest instruments of the ancient land of Burma. A solo performance of saung-gauk onstage at A Golden Brilliance of Peace created a vivid image of the harp echoing in the rainforest of Burma, and...
A Golden Brilliance of Peace Delights Audiences
Myanmar, formerly called Burma, is rich in cultural heritage and natural resources; it is known as a devout Buddhist nation of gentle and peace-loving people. Myanmar is also famous throughout the world as “The Golden Land” due to the thousands of golden pagodas and...
China National Peking Opera Company Tours 30 Cities Across Japan
The Peking Opera, a celebrated art form from China, is performed on a simple stage, which stands in contrast to the elaborate makeup and costumes of the actors. But this modest stage is instantly transformed when the actors start to sing. Their voices can evoke the...
The Norwegian Girls’ Choir Premiere in Sendai for Japan Tour
The Norwegian Girls Choir onstage in Sendai The Kingdom of Norway is known for its magnificent natural scenery, from majestic fjords to spectacular auroras. Norway has also given the world a number of influential musical artists. One such artist is internationally...
Wayne Shorter Receives Min-On International Award for Arts
(From left) President Kobayashi, Executive Advisor Hasegawa, Mr. Wayne Shorter and his wife Carolina In the midst of the cherry blossom season, American virtuoso jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter visited the Min- On Culture Center on April 15 in between his...
Peking Opera Comes to Life at the Min-On Culture Center
Through July 6, 2014, the Min-On Music Museum in Tokyo’s Min-On Culture Center is hosting a special exhibition entitled The Century’s Greatest Master Artist of Chinese Opera—Mei Lanfang and His Contributions to Sino-Japanese Friendship. The exhibit commemorates the...
Japanese Audiences Enjoy Ireland’s Cultural Celebration
As virtuoso Irish fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada remarked, “Music, dance and language are probably the three strongest elements of cultural inheritance reflecting ‘Irishness.’” He continued, “Irish traditional music is the music of the people and a cultural celebration...
Swedish A Cappella Enchants Audiences Across Japan
The Svanholm Singers People who hear a conversation in Swedish for the first time often comment that the language is very melodic with an almost sing-song quality. Indeed, Sweden is a country of singers—some statistics indicate that among a population of 9 million...
Forty-fifth Installment of Min-On Tango Series Gets Underway
The Grecos Tango Orquesta and award-winning dancers deliver the latest installment of dramatic tango Every year since Min-On launched the Min-On Tango Series in 1970, a number of internationally renowned tango artists have been invited to Japan from Argentina and...
Herbie Hancock Receives Min-On International Award for Arts
Herbie Hancock On October 30, the day after his arrival in Japan for his concert tour, jazz icon Herbie Hancock visited the Min-On Culture Center in Tokyo, and in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Min-On's founding, he received the Min-On International Award...
Jazz is a Dialogue Celebrating the Joy of Life
Herbie Hancock and his band on stage in Tokyo "Jazz is a music that depends on dialogue . . . Jazz is also a very spiritual music. The dialogue that happens within the performance of the music is not frivolous or casual. The dialogue embodied in jazz is very serious,...
Min-On Music Museum Hosts ‘The Power of Music’ Symposium
Dr. Olivier Urbain (left) and Dr. Agnes Chan (right) The Min-On Music Museum is one of only a handful of music museums in the world. Located in Shinanomachi, Tokyo since 1998, the Museum has to date welcomed more than 1.6 million visitors. In addition to a variety of...
Passionate Cuban Music Marks Min-On’s 50th Anniversary
Passionate singing and dancing from César López and the Habana Ensemble The Caribbean Musical Cruise is a popular Min-On concert series showcasing the rich and diverse musical cultures of the Caribbean nations. This year, the Cruise visits Cuba—the largest “treasure...
Discovering the Soul of Shoka Songs at the Min-On Music Museum
Shoka melodies evoking the atmosphere of a school music classroom The Min-On Music Museum periodically organizes cultural lectures, workshops and mini concerts along with occasional special exhibitions in the museum as its public service activities to promote...
Young Conductors Make Successful Debuts at Gala Concert Series
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra performs under the baton of Maja Metelska from Poland An early spring series of Gala Concerts for the winners of the 16th Tokyo International Competition for Conducting was held in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka in March. The Competition,...
The Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe of China
Award-winning Lion Dance, Majestic Dignity This year, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Min-On Concert Association (founded in 1963), and in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the conclusion of the Peace and Friendship Treaty between Japan and the...
Greeting from Min-On President Hiroyasu Kobayashi on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary
Min-On President Hiroyasu Kobayashi “Min-On aims to deepen mutual understanding and friendship among all countries by promoting music and cultural exchanges that transcend differences of nationality, race and language.” This is one of the founding principles of the...
Performance of Ekatatva Celebrates Solidarity Among the People
Ekatatva—a collaborative performance of odissi, kathak and bharatanatyam onstage The Sanskrit word ekatatva means ‘unity’ or ‘one essence’. “Ekatatva,” says Uma Dogra, a virtuoso of Indian kathak dance, “is a common principle of our thought that strings together three...
Tokyo International Music Competition Opens a Gateway to Success as a Conductor
Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting The Min-On Concert Association, in cooperation with the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras, held the 16th Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall for an...
Ghana Dance Ensemble Takes Audience on a Voyage of Discovery
Ahengoro—a ceremonial dance of the ethnic Akans A Musical Voyage Across Africa is a concert series initiated by the Min-On Concert Association in 1999 and based on the idea that the 21st century shall be the ‘Century of Africa’. Aiming to develop friendships with...
Shaanxi Song and Dance Troupe Celebrates Sino-Japanese Friendship
Scene of the imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty in Moon Over the Capital On the evening of 10 July, the Shaanxi Song and Dance Troupe’s Moon over the Capital – Music and Dance of the Tang Dynasty premiered in Tokyo before a capacity audience at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall....
20th Kansai Foreign Students Music Festival Held in Osaka
Students from around the world onstage in Osaka On December 4, 2011, 87 international students from 19 countries and regions studying at universities and colleges in the greater Kansai area gathered in the grand concert hall of the Osaka International House...
The Romantic Era of Asakusa Opera at the Min-On Music Museum
Poster welcoming visitors to the Asakusa Opera exhibition July 30, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Taisho (“period of great righteousness”) era in Japan. This all-too-brief period of Japanese history followed the chaotic...
Fabio Hager Dedicates Piece to Min-On Founder
Fabio Hager (center left) presenting the score of Dramatico On January 19, the day after their arrival in Japan, Maestro Fabio Hager and the members of his sextet, together with the group’s featured dancers and singer, visited the Min-On Culture Center in Tokyo...
Flag-Bearers of a New Era of Tango
Fabio Hager Performs for the Min-On Tango Series The Fabio Hager Sextet perform at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo The Min-On Tango Series, which launched in 1970 with a concert by the internationally acclaimed Orquesta José Basso, has been credited with spearheading a...
A New Legend of Peruvian Music Takes to the Stage in Japan
A New Legend of Peruvian Music on stage Organized by Min-On, and cosponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru, Prom-Peru, and the Embassy of Peru in Japan, a successful concert tour of Peruvian artists entitled A New Legend of Peruvian Music played to...
The Ballet de Yoko Komatsubara Features Passion del Flamenco
Dancers and musicians of the Ballet de Yoko Komatsubara During September and October, the premier Spanish dance company in Japan, The Ballet de Yoko Komatsubara, accompanied by a total of six dancers, singers and guitarists invited from Spain, completed a successful...
Jamaica Rocks Celebrates A Rich Musical Culture
The singers of Jamaica Rocks in performance On September 9, the long-awaited world premier of Jamaica Rocks was held at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall in Tokyo—venue of a concert by the legendary Reggae artist Bob Marley in 1979. Jamaica Rocks is the name of a talented group...
Benny Goodman Orchestra Swings Into Town
Benny Goodman Orchestra performs in Tokyo The “King of Swing” Benny Goodman and his orchestra was one of the most popular musical groups in America during the Swing Era that began in the mid-1930s, and helped secure a new place for jazz as “America’s classical music”...
Caribbean Musical Cruise Departs for Jamaica
The artists that make up Jamaica Rocks The Min-On Concert Association initiated a new concert series in the summer of 2009 entitled The Caribbean Musical Cruise to showcase the rich and varied musical cultures of the Caribbean nations, each of which has its own unique...
Exploring the Richness and Diversity of Jamaica through Music
Dance performance from Jamaica Rocks Mixing the rhythms of Africa with the melodies of Europe, the evolution of Jamaican music has been influenced as much by Jamaica’s cultural heritage as by the social conditions on the island itself. Until its rise to global...
Osvaldo Pugliese —The Venerable Maestro of Argentine Tango
Maestro Osvaldo Pugliese The following are excerpts from the essay titled “Recollections of World Figures: Osvaldo Pugliese —The Venerable Maestro of Argentine Tango” written by Min-On founder Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International, in 1995....
The Orquesta Color Tango Presents Dramatic Tango—Golden Rhythm Across Japan
Chizuko Kuwamoto and Diego Ortega (right) with other world-class tango dancers perform with the Orquesta Color Tango The Min-On Concert Association has long conducted cultural exchange activities with Argentina. Launched in 1970 with a concert by the internationally...