Greeting

A greeting from TSIVMC 2024

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Tamba Sasayama International Viola Master Class 2024,
I would like to extend my greetings.

We are pleased to welcome Ms. Nobuko Imai, one of world leading viola players, and three viola players, Mr. Veit Hertenstein, Ms. Wenting Kang, and Mr. Nian Liu, Ms. Imai’s friends who are active worldwide to Tamba Sasayama for the Tamba Sasayama International Viola Master Class 2024.
This year the Tamba Sasayama Viola International Master Class will be held as the forth time.
Scheduled for September 12 to 21, spanning 10 days, the program will host 12 students selected from applicants from Japan and abroad,
the four mentioned faculties, and three pianists. Participants will engage in musical exploration with their viola from morning to night.

The Executive Committee, comprising more than a dozen music lovers from Tambasasayama City, is dedicated to ensuring a smooth experience for students, faculties and pianists. We will assist in organizing public lessons and master class concerts, as well as coordinate exchanges between the master class and the citizens of Tamba Sasayama. Our efforts extend to facilitating public lessons, master class concerts, and planning events like concerts by students, fostering interaction between the master class and local amateur musicians.

The viola, a less familiar instrument compared to the violin or cello, has captured our committee’s interest, with many of us becoming viola enthusiasts after experiencing the lessons by the faculties and the performances at the master class concerts.
Our aspiration is to share this wonderful viola music not only with viola fans but also with as many people as possible within and outside Tamba Sasayama city.

The venue, The Den-en Symphony Hall, renowned as one of the world’s best sounding halls, complements Tamba Sasayama’s historical charm as a castle town with over 400 years of history. The town features a beautiful landscape, including a castle surrounded by outer moats from east to west and north to south, along with a samurai and merchant district designated as a group of traditional buildings. Tamba Sasayama is known for its delicious foods such as black soybeans, mountain potatoes, Botan nabe (hot pot), and Tanba Sasayama beef, which never fail to delight our faculties and students. We invite all music lovers to join us at The Den-en Symphony Hall during the festival period, attend the public lessons, and enjoy the master class concerts.

We are looking forward to welcoming you all to the Tamba Sasayama International Viola Master Class 2024.

The TSIVMC Executive Committee
Hagimori Manabu