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"Keio Wagner Society Orchestra"

「慶應義塾ワグネル・ソサィエティー・オーケストラ」

Japan's oldest amateur student orchestra "Wagner" (Kohoku Ward, Yokohama City)

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(From left in the photo) Next head of bassoon part Kensuke Nishibori (3rd year, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, in charge of bassoon), concert tour manager Mao Yoneda (3rd year, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, in charge of flute), Mariko Ukezono, next concert mistress Mr. Ryuichi Komiya (3rd year, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, in charge of violin), student supervisor Ryuichi Komiya (3rd year, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, in charge of bass trombone)

What kind of organization is Wagner and what kind of activities does it do?

Mr. Komiya: Wagner is organized mostly by Keio University students. A characteristic of Wagner is that all the members participate in creating one concert. In addition to being the performers, students also play a central role in all administrative work for the concert. Although we are student-centered, we do not forget that we are made possible by the support of many people, and we strive to value connections between people.
Mainly holding regular concerts three times a year, we also conduct domestic and overseas concert tours once every other year, so members can experience major events every two years. In addition, we perform in a variety of formats, including orchestras, chamber music, and brass ensembles upon request for elementary school music classes and local events.

How many members do you have? Also, how do you practice?

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(Practice)

Mr. Komiya: There are about 180 members, and they practice at Keio University's Hiyoshi campus. General practice is about three hours a week from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, but if that is not enough, many members practice on their own every day.

Will all 180 members be able to perform at the concert?

Mr. Komiya: Depending on the university, there are orchestras where students have very few opportunities to perform even if they have been enrolled for four years, but at Wagner, it is decided that each student will perform at least one piece in each regular concert, no matter how different their level may be. Masu. I think there is a strong sense of wanting everyone to work together and do their best.

What do you find rewarding about running Wagner?

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(Mr. Komiya, the student manager giving instructions to the group members)

Mr. Komiya: Each group member has their own job. It's a place where you can feel that each one of them contributes to creating a good concert. Of course, it is important to limit the number of performance venues and to consider the practice schedule, but it is also important to design the program and serve as the entrance staff to provide hospitality to the guests who come to the venue. In addition, considering that a concert is made up of a combination of all of these things, such as going to familiar ramen shops and izakayas near the university to ask them to post flyers for performances, it is important to Everyone will want to give their best performance. I find it rewarding to see everything working in a positive way.

Did you all originally play musical instruments? What led you to join Wagner?

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(Mr. Komiya playing bass trombone)

Mr. Komiya: One of the main reasons I joined Wagner was the high quality of the concerts. I have known Wagner since high school and often attended his concerts. It is rare for a student orchestra to hold concerts three times a year, and each time I was moved by the performances, and naturally I wanted to play an instrument here someday. In junior high school, I played the tuba, a large instrument, and in high school, I played the tenor trombone, a slightly smaller instrument than the bass trombone, but considering Wagner's vacant position, I decided to change to the bass trombone. I decided.

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Mr. Nishibori playing the bassoon)

Mr. Nishibori: I started playing the bassoon when I was in the first year of junior high school. I joined Wagner because, out of all the music circles at Keio, I felt that it had the best environment in which I could devote myself to music. I also had a strong desire to go on a concert tour.

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(Mr. Yoneda playing the flute)

Mr. Yoneda: I started playing the flute when I was in the second grade of elementary school. I've been playing in an orchestra since I was in middle school, so I wanted to continue playing when I entered university. I also thought it would be amazing to be able to go on a performance trip to Europe!

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(Mr. Ukezono playing the violin)

Mr. Ukezono: I've been playing the violin since I was 4 years old. I joined Wagner at the invitation of a senior colleague.

Please tell us your thoughts on the regular concert on June 30th.

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Mr. Yoneda: The first song, “Glazunov Celebration Overture,” is a gorgeous, bright, and passionate song. Since April, Wagner has become a new, fresh member, so I want to perform with a good sense of nervousness and get off to a good start.

Mr. Ukezono: The second piece, ``Poulenc Ballet Suite Female Deer,'' is a piece of French music that is not often performed by Wagner, so it may be the first time for many people to hear it. I think you'll find it refreshing.

Mr. Nishibori: The third piece, “Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E minor,” is a famous piece that everyone knows, but it has a bit of a shadow. We want to maintain a good balance and understand the music well so that we don't get too carried away and perform with our own feelings.

Wagner's future activities schedule

・222nd regular concert
Saturday, October 28, 2017 Evening performance Sumida Triphony Hall Large Hall Conductor: Kentaro Kawase
Program: Rachmaninoff / Symphony No. 2 in E minor, etc.

・223rd regular concert
Sunday, February 11, 2018 Evening Performance Suntory Hall Large Hall Conductor: Masahiko Okochi
Track list: Brahms / Piano Quartet No. 1 Schoenberg orchestral version, etc.

・2017 Overseas Performance Trip
Sunday, February 25, 2018 Prague performance Smetana Hall
February 28th (Wednesday) Munich performance Hercules Saal March 4th (Sunday) Vienna performance Musikverein March 9th (Friday) Budapest performance Congress Hall

From Magcal Editorial Department

I was surprised to hear that all 180 members will be going to four European cities for concerts starting from February next year. The students are responsible for all planning and venue arrangements. His eyes lit up as he said, ``I'm just looking forward to being able to go on a performance tour as a high-level, traditional Wagner.'' It was a friendly and peaceful practice scene, but as soon as the teacher started conducting, the atmosphere became so tense that I hesitated to even take a breath. I was convinced that this quick change of pace would help me balance my studies and music.

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