財 団２５年 の 歩 み

財団法人日本音楽財団

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Nippon Music Foundation was established on 23 March 1974. The objective at thetime of establishment was to assist the healthy inner growth of young people, who willtake on the next generation of Japan, and to enrich the Japanese population in generalby promoting amateur music culture in Japan.
The projects to enhance amateur music through various events such as music
festivals, concerts, lecture concerts, score publishing, visiting and performing at
hospitals and old aged homes, parades, loaning practice instruments, and providingpractice rooms were successfully carried out for most of the first 20 years until 1994
except for the period when the office was dormant during 1989-1990.
In 1994, at the time of the 20th year anniversary, Nippon Music Foundation shifted
its activity to focus on the international exchanges in music. With the official approval
from the Minister of Education, Nippon Music Foundation's three main programs
became (1) International Exchanges in Music, (2) Concert Activities and (3) Grants-inAid Program.
The new "International Exchanges in Music" program, we believe, serves as Japan'scontributions towards the global music community. Historically, the classical music
communities in Europe and America have nurtured and provided opportunities formany young musicians from Japan. Today, Japan has come to be recognized as one of
the major economic powers of the world and, as in other areas, Japan is now expected
to share the responsibilities in supporting the world of classical music. To that end,
Nippon Music Foundation has appointed itself to become a custodian of the world's
top-quality stringed instruments such as those made by Antonio Stradivari and Guarneridel Gesu of Cremona, Italy during the 1600-1700s. The Foundation loan theseinstruments gratuitously to accomplished musicians as well as to young promisingmusicians regardless of their nationalities. The Foundation also organizes charity
concerts in various countries to share the timbre of these superb instruments with music
lovers all over the world.
The "Concert Activities" program provides audiences in Japan the best quality musicby world-class Japanese as well as foreign orchestras and performers at affordable
prices. The Foundation believes that providing more opportunities to listen to goodmusic will enhance the better appreciation of classical music among Japanese people.
Through the "Grants-in-Aid Program", Nippon Music Foundation gives grants tomusical projects implemented by other organizations. Such musical projects include
workshops to advance performing as well as teaching techniques, events to enhanceinternational cultural exchanges as well as to promote public interests in music, and6

concerts to foster charity activities through music.
All activities of Nippon Music Foundation are made possible by the generous
subsidy from The Nippon Foundation. The Nippon Foundation receives its funding
from the proceeds of Motorboat Racing. Nippon Music Foundation's total revenue forthe 25-year period between March 1974 and March 1999 totals ¥8.42 billion (US$71.13
million at rate of US$1=¥118.37 as of 31 March 1999). Nippon Music Foundation is
grateful that 95.6% of it (¥8.05 billion) has come from The Nippon Foundation. At thetime of establishment in 1974, ¥10 million was privately donated towards theFoundation's fundamental asset by late Mr. Ryoichi Sasakawa, the founder of The
Nippon Foundation.
With the firm belief that music acts as the best tool for fostering friendship among
different nations in the world, Nippon Music Foundation strives to continue to expand
its "International Exchanges in Music" activities. From the fund allocated to the"International Exchanges in Music" project, which commenced in March 1993, Nippon
Music Foundation was fortunate to acquire 12 stringed instruments (10 Stradivarius and2 Guarneri del Gesu) within 6 years. The total purchase price for the 12 instruments
amounted to ¥5.07 billion. When the instruments were reviewed in line with theinstrument market in March 1999, the replacement value for the 12 instruments totaled¥5.76 billion. Only small number of masterpiece stringed instruments still exists ingood condition throughout the world today. The experts confide that the upward trendof instrument prices will continue reflecting ever-increasing demand by the players aswell as collectors. Nippon Music Foundation, as a custodian, is committed topreserving and maintaining those instruments regarded as historical cultural assets of
the world in order for them to be handed down to future generations. Nippon Music
Foundation will also continue to look for and to acquire such top-quality instruments inorder to loan them to musicians.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Foundation in September 1998, theFoundation organized "All Stradivarius Concert I & II" in Tokyo where the ninemusicians who have the instruments on loan from the Foundation performed total of 9
Stradivarius instruments. These concerts were great success and the Nippon Music
Foundation's philosophy of "Loaning of Stringed Instrument" activity was very wellreceived by the audience and critics.
Nippon Music Foundation will continue to strive to promote friendship and betterinternational understanding among peoples of different countries through music.

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Photo by S.yokoyama

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Instrument Loan Committee
Lorin Maazel

Conductor (Europe)

Comte Jean-Piere de Launoit

President, The Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition,
Belgium (Europe)

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Dorothy DeLay

Professor, The Juilliard School (U.S.)

Janos Starker

Professor, Indiana University (U.S.)

Kazuko Shiomi

President, Nippon Music Foundation (Japan)

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：1,000円）

80（財）日本音楽財団（1999.3.31.）

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1999年3月現在

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Their Majesties King Albert and Queen Paola
P.56, 61
Easter Festival
P.66
Isserlis, StevenP.58, 62, 63
Indiana University
P.54
WilsonP.63
Royal Academy of Music, The Duke's Hall
P.63
Dr.Engleman, E.P.
P.57
The Karajan Foundetion
P.66
Guarneri, Bartolomeo Giuseppe
P.57, 59
The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
P.63
Kerkrade, International World Music Competition
P.40
Corcoran Gallery of Arts
P.55
Gottlieb, Howard
P.58
Kopelman, Mihail
P.50, 55
Salzburg Festival
P.66
Sinopoli, Giuseppe
P.57
The Chateauville Foundation
P.67
Starker, JanosP.54
The Juilliard School
P.54
Solti, Georg
P.63
Stern, Issac
P.59
Stradivari, Antonio
P.53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59
Stradivarius
P.5, 7, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 58, 61, 62, 63
Znaider, Nikolaj
P.50, 56, 63
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
P.64
Chang, Sarah
P.55
De Launoit, Comte Jean-Pierre
P.54
DeLay, Dorothy
P.54
del Gesu
P.5, 54, 57, 59
Tokyo String Quartet
P.50, 55, 62
Dawes, Andrew
P.55
Dresden Staatskapelle
P.57
Berman, Pavel
P.57
Perlman, Itzhak
P.67
Hahn, Hilary
P.56
Das Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
P.61
Paganini, Niccolo
P.55
Sir Huggins, WilliamP.56
Hagner, Viviane
P.59
Parisot, Aldo
P.58
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
P.47, 66
Hill, Alfred
P.56
Hill, Phillips
P.57
Philharmonia Orchestra
P.47, 60
Feuermann, Emanuel
P.58
Brown, Iona
P.59
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
P.58
Francais, Jacques
P.57
The Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, Belgium P.54, 56, 61
Meyers, Anne Akiko
P.57
Maazel, Lorin
P.47, 49, 54, 56, 60, 61
Mintz, Shlomo
P.55
Muntz, H.M.
P.58
Mortier, Gerard
P.66
Rachlin, Julian
P.47
Lin, Cho-Liang
P.56
Long-Jacques Thibaud International Competition
P.58
97

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