Tokyo Symphony Orchestra

The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (東京交響楽団) (TSO) is a Japanese orchestra, administratively based in Kawasaki. The orchestra offers subscription concert series at its home, the Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall and at Suntory Hall, the Concert Hall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, and Tokyo Opera City. It also serves as the opera orchestra for selected opera productions at New National Theatre Tokyo.

History
The orchestra was established in 1946 as the Toho Symphony Orchestra (東宝交響楽団), and gave its first performance on 14 May 1946 under the direction of Hitoshi Ueda. The Toho Symphony Orchestra began full-time activities in 1947, starting on 29 September 1947 with performances of Beethoven conducted by Hidemaro Konoe. The orchestra took the name of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra in 1951, under the auspices of Radio Tokyo. In May 1956, the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra Foundation undertook management of the ensemble. In March 1964, the foundation was dissolved, and the orchestra was reconstituted under new, independent management. A new foundation for the orchestra was re-established in 1980.

Past music directors of the orchestra have included Masashi Ueda (1945–1964) and Kazuyoshi Akiyama (1964–2004). Hubert Soudant was the first non-Japanese music director of the orchestra, from 2004 to 2014. The orchestra's current music director is Jonathan Nott, since 2014. Nott is scheduled to conclude his tenure as the orchestra's music director in March 2026.

The orchestra has recorded the musical score for the 1984 movie The Return of Godzilla.

Music directors

 * Hidemaro Konoe
 * Masashi Ueda (1945–1964)
 * Kazuyoshi Akiyama (1964–2004)
 * Hubert Soudant (2004–2014)
 * Jonathan Nott (2014–present)