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. It runs programmes that train young performers, and its Concerts for Children invite elementary and junior high school students from across Nagano Prefecture to hear the orchestra live.

The main concerts are held at four halls in Matsumoto: Kissei Bunka Hall, Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre, The Harmony Hall and Agata no Mori Bunka Kaikan.