Midori Komai Farewell Concert

This September, a pioneering conductor returns to her roots in the Hakuba mountains for a rare, final performance where her musical journey first began.

The Story Behind the Performance

Midori Komai broke ground as one of the first women to build a career on the conductor’s podium. She trained under the celebrated Japanese conductor Hiroyuki Iwaki, went on to top conducting auditions across the United States, and won gold two years running at a master course final concert in Los Angeles. She has led the Sapporo Symphony, the Kyushu Symphony, and the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa in Japan, and since 1993 she has also built a strong reputation with the Hong Kong Philharmonic and Hong Kong Sinfonietta.

But before that, there was Hakuba, the town where she grew up surrounded by music. Twenty years after the passing of her mentor, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Komai returns to the mountains for Music Is a Feeling: Seven Movements – Beyond the Dream, her final performance and the culmination of her lifelong career.

What to Expect

Komai will lead the Hakuba Philharmonic Orchestra, a special ensemble assembled just once, for this performance only, through a European inspired program of beloved classics:

• Beethoven — Symphony No. 7
• Mozart — Overture to The Marriage of Figaro
• Tchaikovsky — Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty

(Program subject to change.)

Event Details

• Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026
• Doors: 2:00 PM | Start: 3:00 PM | Ends: 5:00 PM
• Venue: Kyowa Wing Hakuba Culture Hall, Hokujo 2066, Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano
• Tickets: Multiple ticket types available, including reserved and free-seating options.
• Presented by: Licht Philharmonic Project

Tickets are sold through teket and are expected to move quickly for a performance this personal and this rare final concert. We’d encourage booking early.

Buy Tickets

You can hear past Licht Philharmonic Project performances on their archive playlist on YouTube, and follow along with concert updates on Instagram and Facebook. Full program and artist details are also on the official event website.