Field Report : Bravo “Wase-oke”! — Waseda University Symphony Orchestra 2006 European Tour

School of Political Science and Economics Fourth Year, Shinsuke Yamamoto (in charge of public relations for the Orchestra)

Playing in the most beautiful hall in the world, the Musikverein in Vienna

A standing ovation for the Waseda Orchestra

The Waseda University Symphony Orchestra (a.k.a. Wase-oke) performed in ten cities of Germany, Austria, and France in February and March.

Before each performance, there was one thing we were concerned about, namely whether the audiences, who grew up in the cradle of classical music, will accept our Wase-oke music. Our performance sites were the world's most famous musical cities, including Berlin, Vienna, and Paris. It is well known that European audiences are hard to please and that they will walk out if the performance is unsatisfactory. Or at an even earlier stage, tickets may not sell very well and the hall may be full of empty seats. We had both hopeful and anxious feelings before our concerts. However, the anxiety disappeared as the tour progressed. The halls were full, and the audiences responded to our performances with thunderous applause, cries of ‘bravo’, smiles and even standing ovations, which is the greatest honor for any musician. In the next day's local newspaper, the front page often praised us as having an “amazingly high technical and musical standards” and asked “What is the difference between them and professionals?” It seemed like nearly a miracle that a Japanese orchestra would be so highly praised in Europe. The Wase-oke tour was a sensation and a huge success. By the time we returned, we felt satisfied that we had made an impression in Europe.

When I look back, I think this success was not accidental. We prepared for our European tour for three full years. Perfecting our intonation on every note without compromise, making sure we were rhythmically together in every passage, always aiming for the musical expression the conductor was striving for, we gradually raised our standard. And before we knew it, we had reached a level where we felt able to compete with just about any orchestra.

All of you who have not yet heard the Waseda Orchestra: please come to one of our concerts. You will be able to hear a Waseda sound that reverberates throughout the world.