Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival

The Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival (OMF) is an annual classical music festival held each summer in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Originally established in 1992 as the Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto by the conductor Seiji Ozawa, it was renamed the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in 2015. The festival’s resident ensemble is the Saito Kinen Orchestra (SKO), an orchestra formed to honour Ozawa’s mentor, Hideo Saito, and composed of musicians from around the world. 

The Saito Kinen Orchestra traces its origins to a series of memorial concerts organised in 1984 by Ozawa and colleagues in memory of Saito. These concerts led to the formal launch of the festival in 1992, centred on orchestral and operatic performances. 

OMF presents a diverse programme each year, including orchestral concerts, opera productions, chamber music, and educational events. Performances feature leading international conductors, soloists, and ensembles, with the Saito Kinen Orchestra as a core presence. 

A notable aspect of the festival is its emphasis on music education, carried out through the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy. The academy provides training and performance opportunities for young musicians and offers programmes designed to expose elementary and middle school students to live classical music. 

The festival typically runs from August through September, with multiple concert programmes and performances presented over several weeks. It continues to draw audiences to Matsumoto each year and reflects its founder’s commitment to artistic excellence, international collaboration, and nurturing musical talent. 

The festival’s events are held at various venues throughout the city, including Kissei Bunka Hall, Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre, Harmony Hall, Agata no Mori Bunka Kaikan, Matsumoto Castle Park, Matsumoto Station Plaza, Matsumoto Castle, Kaichi School Museum, Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Nakamachi Street, Nawate Street, and the Matsumoto Folk Craft Museum.