Watch Berlin Philharmonic's Premiere of Toshio Hosokawa's "Prayer for Violin and Orchestra"

The piece is dedicated to the principal concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Daishin Kashimoto, who performs as soloist in this premiere

Earlier this month, the Berlin Philharmonic premiered Toshio Hosokawa's "Prayer for Violin and Orchestra" with conductor Paavo Järvi and soloist Daishin Kashimoto, concertmaster of the ensemble.

Born in Hiroshima, Japan, Toshio Hosokawa's compositions mix influences from traditional Japanese aesthetics, the western avant-garde, and the sounds of nature.

"Japan is multifaceted," Hosokawa told Martin Demmler in a Berlin Philharmonic profile. "On the one hand, there is pure stress in the big cities, while on the other hand, there is still a sense of calm outside the main centres, where nature and a feeling of solitude still exist. That’s my Japan, those are my roots.”

Audiences can now watch the world premiere of this piece on Berlin Philarmonic's Digital Concert Hall by using code "HOSOKAWA" at digitalconcerthall.com/code.

Valid until July 31, 2023, the code is redeemable one time per person. Viewers can watch Hosokawa's "Prayer for Violin and Orchestra" here.

Toshio Hosokawa was born in Hiroshima in 1955. He moved to Germany in 1976, where he studied composition with Isang Yun, Brian Ferneyhough, and Klaus Hube. He first gained widespread recognition with the 2001 world premiere of his oratorio Voiceless Voice in Hiroshima. Hosokawa has had his work performed by ensembles such as Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, and Duisburger Philharmoniker.