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Sony Concert Band
2006, 42nd Regulat Concert
We are the Sony Concert Band which is a corporate band belonging personnel affairs section of Sony Corp. All members are/were workers of Sony Corp. and some Sony group companies, as engineers, researchers, purchasers or accountants ...etc. Of course, we all love music.
Masaru Ibuka (1908-1997): Founder of Sony Corporation, loved music and he ordered to organize concert band in the company. Finally Sony Concert Band was established in fall of 1957 and started their first rehearsal in January of 1958 with 25 members when the company changed new name from Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Co. to SONY, it was exactly same time.
Toshio Akiyama was appointed as a conductor till now. We grew up quickly and got result at All Japan Band Contest as follows;
- 1962 2nd Prize at Industrial Band Division of All Japan Band Contest
- 1964 1st Prize at same division
In 1965, we established the 1st regular public concert instead of attending All Japan Band Contest. Also Baton Twirlers Team was organized in same year. Since 1967 we started visiting concert to other company band or factories of Sony. Annual and first visiting was Yamaha Band in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka. After then we visited companies as follows;
- 1968 Concert Liberte Band
- 1969 Toyota Company Band
- 1970 Nippon Steel Co. Muroran Band
- 1971 Nippon Steel Co. Nagoya Band
- 1972 Kagoshima Bank Band
- 1973 Fukui Bank Band
- 1980 Bridgestone Co. Band
- 1982 Aomori Bank Band
After 1983, we visited many different prefectures to have concert for the schools and young students.
In 1979 we celebrated ourselves 20th Anniversary, visited the United State in summer for TBA Convention which was held in San Antonio, Texas. In 1989 we had concert tour to Asian Area to celebrated our 30th Anniversary. And in 1998 we had concert tour to the USA / Mexico for another celebration our 40th Anniversary.
In past 40 years, we invited many guest conductors as follows; Frederick Fennell, Paul Yoder, Alfred Reed, James Barnes, Norio Ohga : Chairman/CEO of Sony Corp. etc.
We had 40th Anniversary Special Concert on Nov. 20, 1998, Dr. Alfred Reed conducted his new composition "Millennium III" dedicated to Mr. Akiyama and the Sony Concert Band.
Mr. Akiyama retired the conductor of SCB in Spring, 2000. Then we invited to join Mr. Tsunanobu Kawamoto as a new Conductor / Musical Director. We have been challenging AJBA Contest since this year after 35 years absence!