Taro Hakase Music Festival Held in Kyoto! Tokyo Performance Coming at the End of This Month!

The 'Taro Hakase Music Festival 2026', organized by violinist Taro Hakase, was held over two days, May 30th and 31st, at Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto.

First held at Kamigamo Shrine in 2019 and resumed in 2022 after the pandemic, the 'Taro Hakase Music Festival' has become a unique event cherished by music fans as a hallmark of early summer. This year's festival marked a first, featuring an outdoor orchestra. The Taro Hakase Orchestra is composed of 50 members, including music director Takeshi Hakeda, conductor Naoya Iwaki, concertmaster Hitoshi Konno, and band members Junji Sakamoto (drums), Hitoshi Watanabe (bass), Kiyotsugu Amano (guitar), and Shunichi Oshima (keyboard).

On the first day, May 30th, the event opened with 'Utage' (Banquet), a powerful taiko drumming performance by Eitetsu Hayashi, Yuichi Kimura, and Makoto Tashiro. Following this, flamenco guitarist Jin Oki and hip-hop artist KREVA performed alongside the orchestra. Bandoneon player Ryota Komatsu and singer Ayaka Hirahara also appeared, collaborating with Taro Hakase. Taro Hakase closed the first day with a grand finale, including 'Jounetsu Tairiku'.

On the second day, May 31st, pianist Takuma Ishii, Gagaku performer Hideki Togi, and shamisen player Hiromitsu Agatsuma performed, showcasing cross-genre music.