This year's Clock Tower Concert, an annual event co-hosted by Kyoto University and Kyoto City University of Arts, was held at KU's Clock Tower Centennial Hall on 10 May 2015. The "Lecture & Concert: History of the orchestra tracing back through masterpieces" opened with a briefing on the characteristics and histories of orchestral instruments by Professor Nobutaka Masui of the Faculty of Music of Kyoto City University of Arts. This was followed by performances of selected classical works by the academy orchestra (graduate school orchestra): "Toy Symphony" (attrib Leopold Mozart), "Water Music" by George Fredric Handel, "Symphony No 5 in C minor" by Ludwig von Beethoven, and "Symphony No 7 in B minor" (also known as the "Unfinished Symphony") by Franz Schubert. The presentation of the concert was quite elaborate; toy instruments were used in the performance of "Toy Symphony", which really thrilled the audience, and one conductor "passed the baton" to another in the middle of a musical piece, allowing audience members to compare how the performances differed under two conductors.
The near-capacity audience received the performances with great enthusiasm. Feedback comments included: "I gained a deeper understanding of musical instruments through the briefing given at the beginning", "I appreciated the differences in performance between two conductors, a teacher and a student; that was quite interesting for me", and "The hall was very amenable for listening to the music because we could see brown brick buildings and green foliage through the windows behind the stage, creating a visual ambience that was quite harmonious with the classical music".
The orchestra performing during the concert
Professor Nobutaka Masui, Faculty of Music, Kyoto City University of Arts, introducing instruments of the orchestra
