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Music Culture

Cultural Projects

Hamamatsu hosts the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition and the Shizuoka International Opera Competition, both of which belong to the World Federation of International Music Competitions. Many more unique events take place in the city, including the Hamamatsu Wind Band Conference and Band Restoration.

Traditional Music

The northern part of the city is a veritable treasure trove of precious traditional performing arts within Japan; from ritual music and dance with roots in religious or agricultural festivals, to the Hiyondori and Okunai festivals and farmers’ kabuki theater.

The Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments is working to ensure the preservation of these local performing arts through audio-visual recording.

While traditional music is taught in schools, as music is often a part of traditional festivals and events, it is mostly handed down to the next generation by the community. As the day of the festival draws near, people can often be seen practicing together in local shrines and other such locations.

Human Resources, Organizations and Centers of Activities

Hamamatsu makes use of its abundant human resources, dispatching music instructors and performers to schools and local communities.
There are many musical organizations active in the city, for example:

*The Hamamatsu City Chorus League, made up of around 190 groups
*Hamamatsu City Federation of Wind Bands, made up of around 100 groups

There are many event venues available. One such venue, the main hall in ACT City, Hamamatsu, is Japan’s first quadruple stage theater. Also, Hamamatsu Civic Music (Concert) Hall is to open in June 2021, mainly for use as a platform of music cultural activities and learning outcomes for its citizens.

Education and Talent Development

The Shizuoka University of Art and Culture offers various lectures on subjects such as arts management. Through these, it fosters talent for the planning and production of concerts and the management of concert halls. In addition, there are many other music-related educational programs available.
The Hamamatsu ACT city Academy of Music, a music-related educational program sponsored by Hamamatsu Cultural Foundation, hosts the Hamamatsu International Piano Academy, the Hamamatsu International Wind Instruments Academy, and Concert Host Training Seminars.