“Meet Kyohei Sorita, pianist, aspiring conductor and chief executive officer of Japan’s first orchestra operating as a stock-issuing company,” write Go Onomitsu and Erica Yokoyama in Monday’s (4/25) Bloomberg.com. “The 27-year-old Chopin specialist is betting that he’ll be able to make money by holding concerts and tours, producing and distributing music and running an online salon that connects performers with their fans and students. Sorita founded Japan National Orchestra Co. just a year ago, during the pandemic. He’s planning to take the orchestra to perform overseas later in 2022…. Sorita sees the for-profit endeavor as a way to nurture talent and promote wider appreciation for Mozart, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff…. Sorita’s musical venture is backed by … DMG Mori Co., a Japanese manufacturer of high-precision lathes, metal cutting robots and other machine tools. The Tokyo-based company owns 70% of JNO through a foundation, while the rest is held by Sorita’s own management firm…. Musicians get salaries…. JNO also operates a subscription-style membership service called Solistiade [whose] services include access to early ticket sales, and group or one-on-one tutorials…. The first year … Sorita said … demand was so strong that tickets sold out for the latest tour.”
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