A Young Musician's Vision for the Future of Japan's Classical Music Industry

Musical Culture Reflects Traditions and National Character

After graduating high school, Sorita studied abroad in Russia and then traveled the world as a pianist, performing with orchestras in various countries. In August 2025, he will perform at the Salzburg Festival in Austria as both a conductor and pianist. We asked Sorita, who is familiar with classical music industries around the world, how musical cultures differ between Japan and elsewhere.

"The Salzburg Festival in Austria has a history reaching back to 1920," he explains. "It's held in Salzburg, which is famous for being the birthplace of Mozart, and it's one of the world's most prestigious concerts. Everyone attending wears tuxedos or formal dresses, which is rare anywhere in the world."

Meanwhile, in neighboring Germany, there are concerts like those by the Berlin Philharmonic at the Waldbühne amphitheater, where people can relax and enjoy music outdoors. In France, where individuality is highly valued, Sorita notes that artistic sensibilities originating in art forms like painting are also reflected in music, elevating the overall level of culture in the country. It seems that musical cultures differ greatly even within Europe, as they were developed through each country's history, traditions, and national character.

Politeness is what sets Japanese audiences apart, Sorita says, speaking from the perspective of a performer. He also points out that Japan is unique in the world, in the sense that all students across the country learn how to play the recorder and sing as part of mandatory education. He believes the music education is well-developed.

Nurturing World-Class Professional Musicians 

Sorita, who is both a musician and a corporate executive, has a clear vision for the future of Japan's music education. In light of the declining birthrate, he proposes enhancing top talent and restructuring educational institutes, like university music departments that are scattered throughout Japan.

"The number of music departments nationwide may be cut in half in 20 or 30 years' time. Before that happens, we need to consolidate finances as well as industry leaders and instructors," he says, hoping this will further enhance the quality of education.

"There are many good things about the music education developed so far, but it hasn't been able to evolve any further."

Sorita believes there needs to be more specialized education so that Japan does not fall further behind other Asian countries.

Specific steps would include establishing intensive programs and master classes for highly talented individuals in small numbers. Professional, elite groups need to be created to train world-class musicians. Sorita created his own orchestra as a step toward ultimately establishing an ideal music education institute. Having an orchestra as part of the institute would allow it to offer curriculums for even more highly specialized education, such as nurturing skills to perform with an orchestra, discerning the sounds of different instruments, and reading scores.

That being said, creating such an institute is not Sorita's end goal. What he hopes to achieve goes beyond that.

"I'll consider my goal achieved when I see the graduates succeeding around the world and shining in the spotlight," Sorita explains. "Like performing in Carnegie Hall or winning international competitions."

He also believes it is important to establish a personal brand in order to create a music education institute that will be the envy of the world. Winning a prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition must have undoubtedly been an opportunity to demonstrate his skills to the world. All the diverse work he engages in is slowly but surely leading toward his one big goal.

Tokyo's Potential as a City of Music

As of January 2025, 27 orchestras are full members of the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras, and 9 of them are based in Tokyo. Furthermore, Tokyo has multiple large concert halls that seat over 2,000 people, in contrast to most other prefectures, which only have one or none of such size. Tokyo hosts regular concerts by various orchestras, many also from overseas, making it by far the best city to enjoy classical music.

Sorita recognizes the potential that Tokyo holds. "Just as we go to music festivals around the world, I want international audiences to come to see concerts in Japan too." With various classical music concerts being held every day in Tokyo's numerous halls, there is a big potential for drawing in international tourists. In fact, when Sorita received consultations on branding from a concert hall in Tokyo, he stressed the importance of serving inbound customers. He says international fans sometimes contact him directly saying they want to purchase tickets.

"All musicians must put up English profiles, first and foremost," he says. "It would also be good to have an English web portal that pulls together information on all the classical music concerts being held in Japan. It would allow international visitors to buy tickets smoothly."

As part of his work, Sorita is also planning to create a new international competition within the next few years, to be held in Japan. He believes there needs to be a supportive framework to attract fans from around the globe.

Today, anyone can easily promote themselves using platforms like YouTube and social media. While many musicians tend to adopt a quiet dedication to their art, being able to actively self-brand and promote oneself on the internet offers great opportunities, especially for the tech-savvy young generation. At the same time, it is important to maintain a balance between individuals pursuing their personal careers and developing the classical music industry as a whole.

"I feel that social media is enabling people to listen to a variety of classical music more often now," Sorita says. "But it's hard to convey the essence of classical music, as an art, online."

He hopes listeners will be flexible in their change and want to attend concerts in person to experience live performances, instead of being satisfied with only digital content.

"Music Enriches Life"

Sorita also attends performances by children, finding young talent with promising futures. Nevertheless, he says that the declining birthrate is inevitably reducing the number of musicians.

He shares this encouraging message to young people aspiring to become musicians: "Even in moments when you question your talent, don't give up. Keep going. Experiencing various emotions will add depth and expression to your performance, and there will definitely come a time when music saves you."

"Music enriches life," says Sorita. The future he envisions for Japan's classical music industry still has many obstacles to overcome, but he sees a bright path forward.

Sorita Kyohei

In 2021, he won the second prize at the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition, marking the first time in half a century that a Japanese pianist received this prestigious honor. This accomplishment placed him firmly in the global spotlight, with piano fans around the world recognizing his skill and passion.
He founded the Japan National Orchestra, which frequently sells out its nationwide tours, making it one of Japan's most sought-after orchestras.