World-Class Music Comes to Town

Date : Early August into September

With all the festivals and events taking place throughout the year here in Matsumoto, there’s a pretty good chance that if you hang out for a little while you’ll get to enjoy one of them yourself. For the festivals and events that take place over the course of days or weeks, your chances are even better. Such is the case with the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival. This festival is a series of orchestral and operatic performances that takes place every August and on into September.

It started with a grade school student named Seiji Ozawa who was interested in playing piano. But a hand injury and a music teacher’s influence put him instead on the road to being a world-renowned conductor. In 1984 Seiji Ozawa led a musical performance in honor of his music teacher. That initial endeavor turned into an annual event that brings to Matsumoto performers from all over the world.

Headlining the festival are the orchestral performances conducted by Ozawa himself, along with the music of the international musicians on hand. But there is always an array of additional operatic and musical events, both indoor and outdoor, for people of all ages, being put on all over town.

So if you’re in town any time from mid-August on into September look for what’s going on. This is truly an international event. All the information about times and places and how to snag tickets (the hardest part of all!) can be found online in English on the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival website.

Matsumoto has plenty to offer on any day of the year. When there’s a festival going on it’s even better. But there’s only one occasion when world-class music comes to town.

World-Class Music Comes to Town with the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival