Having a great music hall, a fine theater, and a world-renowned orchestra is a source of pride for residents and leads to the cultural refinement of the city. The opening of hitaru in Sapporo—a city that already has Kitara concert hall for classical music—gives opportunities for productions in various genres, including ballet and musical theater, thus tremendously increasing chances for citizens to come in contact with “genuine art” and bringing changes to the city and its residents. In Vienna, where I studied in my younger days, as many as 300 productions were presented annually, and theatergoing was part of my daily routine. Now, Sapporo will see the staging of more opera performances in which the orchestra must have the ability to support the soloist’s virtuosity, and this will help local orchestras further hone their skills. It’s my hope that hitaru will foster local orchestras, and vice versa, and cultivate a theatergoing culture in Sapporo.
I hope for this theater and the art and culture of Sapporo, where this theater is located, to continue to flourish and mature in coming years.
August 2018
Tadaaki Otaka
Artistic Advisor of the Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru
©Martin Richardson
Kita 1 Nishi 1, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0001
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