Konstantin Ishkhanov : “It's a great honour to have the illustrious Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra performing in Dubai at InClassica."

Recognised as the oldest symphony orchestra in Japan, the globally acclaimed Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1911 and serves as the country’s largest ensemble, consisting of a colossal 160 musicians. Renowned for its prodigious repertoire, spanning symphonic concerts, opera and ballet, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra performs regularly at Japan’s most prestigious venues, such as Tokyo Opera City, which serves as its home base with Chief Conductor Andrea Battistoni. Internationally, it has conducted three celebrated European tours and received many awards and honours, including the Ongaku No Tomo Sha Prize (1984), the Agency for Cultural Affairs “Art Festival Prize”(1987) and “Art Festival Grand Prize” (1996), among many others.

This year, the distinguished orchestra will make their highly anticipated debut in the UAE at the 14th edition of the historic InClassica International Music Festival 2025 in Dubai. Presided by Konstantin Ishkhanov, InClassica is an annual event that celebrates classical music with concerts that feature an array of acclaimed artists and orchestras. This incredible two-week extravaganza will be held from the 6th to the 21st of April 2025, featuring 16 astonishing concerts, two globally renowned philharmonic orchestras, 14 internationally acclaimed soloists, and five esteemed conductors overall.

Known as the world’s biggest musical observatory, InClassica is the ultimate celebration for classical music enthusiasts, offering an enjoyable symphony of traditional and contemporary compositions, with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra participating in six different concerts featuring a diverse repertoire of classical works and world-class artists such as Giuseppe Gibboni (Italy), Gautier Capuçon (France), David Aaron Carpenter (United States), Mikhail Pletnev (Switzerland), Behzod Abduraimov (Uzbekistan), Fabrizio Meloni (Italy) and Fumiaki Miura (Japan).

President Konstantin Ishkhanov expressed his enthusiasm about the orchestra’s upcoming performances saying, “It’s a great honour to have the illustrious Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra performing in Dubai at InClassica.”

Ahead of their grand concerts at the musical affair, we sat down with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra to hear their thoughts on the festival’s international significance, their approach to working alongside multifarious soloists, and the details of their scheduled programme at the dazzling affair.