The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, (Hideo Sawada, Chairman) has announced that Jonathan Nott, who has served as Music Director since 2014, will be extending his tenure to March 2026. Mr. Nott first appeared with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in October 2011 (at the 593rd Suntory Hall Subscription Concert & 32nd Kawasaki Subscription Concert), where this single joint performance was the decisive factor leading to his appointment as the next Music Director, in which it was announced in the following year in October 2012 that Mr. Nott would be serving as the 3rd Music Director from the 2014 season on a three-year contract. Mr. Nott is currently in his 2nd season and will continue to come to Japan to conduct performances four times per season for a total of eight weeks.

Originally the Orchestra was planning to announce that Mr. Nott’s extension was through March 2020, but the night before the press conference on September 7, 2015, Mr. Nott suggested an extension of his tenure through 2025/26. The Orchestra immediately discussed this and came to announce this pleasant news at the press conference at 2p.m.

Junji Ohno, Managing Director of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra comments, “All of the orchestra members are quite pleased that we have had Mr. Nott with us as Music Director from 2014, and we couldn’t be happier to be able to continue to bring to our audiences his improvisational style of music with the latest European sound and innovative programming with Mr. Nott as Music Director.”

“Ever since I was a teenager I have had a passion for fast motor cars, and my favourite amongst them all was the McLaren F1 that won the 1995 Le Mans 24-hour race with Masanori Sekiya, legend of Japanese racing, at the wheel: British design architecture, Bavarian BMW powerhouse, and Japanese skill. ” said Jonathan Nott. “ I don’t suppose it is very likely that I will ever drive, let alone own, one of these cars, but in October 2011 when, after 5 days work together – three days rehearsal, two concerts, one programme – these wonderful musicians of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra asked me to be their next chief conductor, I bought myself a model of this racing car as a symbol of what we were going to do together: British architect, Japanese skill, a rich and powerful German sonority, and most importantly, exciting music-making and a fast and varied musical journey. What a fantastic orchestra and a very special audience. I am honoured that we have decided so soon to continue this partnership.”