The Kirishima International Music Festival, established in 1980 by world-class musicians and local volunteers as a home-grown event, will welcome its 31st installment this year thanks to the cooperation of all the volunteers involved. Last year marked the 30th landmark installment of this festival which, to my great joy, was a resounding success that sold out of tickets for the seven performances and broke the record for the greatest number of visitors to this festival.

The Kirishima International Music Festival has acquired a high reputation in Japan and abroad as one of the most important music festivals in Asia for its achievement in fostering many distinguished musicians who perform on the world stage, and in contributing to the promotion of international exchange and culture through music.

The Kagoshima Prefectural Government, striving to make this event bigger and better, has joined in hosting the festival since the 8th installment in 1987, and established the “Miyama Conseru (Kirishima International Music Hall)” in 1994.

For this upcoming festival, we will be inviting famous musicians from within Japan and abroad to perform a cello concert on a Noh stage for the first time along with performances at Kirishima Shrine and other Kagoshima locales with a view to further developing the festival. By holding a diverse number of performances and programmes, we are aiming to provide opportunities for local residents to experience high-quality music and to attract music fans from other parts of Japan and abroad.

It is my sincere hope that the beautiful harmonies created by leading musicians here in the Kirishima Highlands, a land rich in natural hot springs and scenic beauty, will resound throughout the world.