Support for culture, the arts and academia | Support for culture and arts
The Nomura Cultural Foundation was established in May 1990 to support the development of talent and international exchange in the field of music and fine arts.
Support for arts and cultural activities (grants to around 100 projects annually)
The Nomura Cultural Foundation provides grants for performances, exhibitions and symposia promoting young artists. Grants were provided to 58 artistic and 54 musical events in fiscal 2007.
International student scholarship program (approximately
20 scholarships annually)
The Nomura Cultural Foundation grants scholarships to promising foreign exchange students who will act as a bridge between Japan and their home countries. Scholarships are awarded to foreign postgraduate exchange students at designated Japanese universities, with a major in either social sciences or humanities.
Since 1991, 180 scholarships have been awarded and
past recipients are active in their respective fields in either Japan or their home countries.
The Nomura Prize at the Tokyo National University of
Fine Arts and Music
The Foundation selects exceptional works by doctoral students for the University Art Museum collections, with the aim of fostering promising young artists and enhancing the Museum's collection.
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Nomura Group was a special sponsor of the 2008 public performances in Japan of Russia's famous Mariinsky Opera. Before the performances, the Opera gave an open rehearsal of Rossini's "Journey to Rheims" on January 31, 2008, to which 150 students between the ages of 12 and 25 were invited to attend. Not only was the entire work performed at the rehearsal, but the audience was also given the chance to watch the performers making their entrance on stage, changes being made to the set where the singers stand, as well as conductor Valery Gergiev giving directions to the singers and musicians during practice. The audience was able to get a first-hand feel for how the opera got fine-tuned for the performances. Some of the students said it had been "a very valuable experience," and that they had "really experienced the power of opera." |
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The Pacific Music Festival is an international music education festival that has been held since 1990. The Festival was conceived by the late Leonard Bernstein, one of the most famous musicians of the 20th Century. Nomura Group and The Nomura Cultural Foundation support the Festival's aim of developing global music culture by fostering young musicians, and have been the Festival's special corporate sponsors from its inception. Between July 5 and July 31, 2008, 127 music academy students who had been selected through auditions from 17 cities around the world gathered in Sapporo for the 19th Pacific Music Festival. Under the direction of a team of top-class instructors, the group held concerts in cities throughout Hokkaido as well as in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. In 1999, along with other supporting companies, Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. received the Mecenat Award for Outstanding Promotion of Arts from the Association for Corporate Support of Arts.
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PMF Chamber Players Concert
Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. Gakuen-Mae Branch and
Kurakuen Branch
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On March 1, 2008, Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. Gakuen-Mae Branch arranged a Pacific Music Festival (PMF) Chamber Players Concert at Gakuen-Mae Hall to celebrate the first anniversary of the Branch's opening. The Chamber Players are an ensemble group of classical musicians who participated in past PMFs as academy students and who now perform regularly in orchestras and as soloists, primarily in Japan's Kansai region. During the concert interval the ensemble members reminisced with the audience over the month they spent one summer in Sapporo as PMF academy students. At the end of the performance, the musicians received a standing ovation.
Subsequently, on April 10, Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. Kurakuen Branch held a PMF Chamber Players Concert at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center, to mark the Branch's opening. Over 300 guests were treated to two hours of superb performance, which gave the community a chance to share in a wondrous exploration of music. |
Some words from the concerts' performers
Ms. Mayumi Okamoto (Bassoon: PMF1997)
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For us the name "PMF" has a special power. When we find out that someone has participated in the PMF, we feel an instant camaraderie, no matter where they're from. What I've gained from my participation in the PMF is invaluable. These concerts have been our chance to convey through music our PMF experiences to people. |
Mr. Daisuke Shiramizu (Trumpet: PMF1999)
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Taking part in the PMF has been a source of great pride for me. In the year I took part I was the only Japanese brass player, and although my English wasn't great, playing our instruments together showed me an experience where words weren't relevant. Thanks to PMF I've grown into a top-level musician, and captivating the audience with a great performance has been my way of showing my gratitude. |
