Heiwado Foundation to Host Hato no Concert 2026 in Three Shiga Venues, Free Admission for 2,300

The Hato no Concert 2026, a flute, cello, and piano trio concert, will take place in October at venues in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, and other locations. Organised by the Heiwado Foundation, the three performances are scheduled for 3 p. m. on October 1 at the Takatsuki Castle Park Arts and Culture Theatre in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture; October 3 at the Hikone Cultural Plaza; and October 4 at the Ritto Arts and Culture Hall. The organisers will invite a total of 2,300 audience members free of charge through a lottery. Applications for admission tickets must be submitted by August 16 via the dedicated "Hato no Concert" page on the Heiwado Foundation website. Enquiries can be directed to the Shiga Bank Economic Culture Centre (077-526-0011).

All three performers are women with ties to Shiga Prefecture. Flutist Yua Horiuchi, 16, is a native of Hikone. At age 14, she was the youngest to pass the entrance exam for the professional course at the Paris Regional Conservatory, earning unanimous approval and high praise from the jury. She completed the two-year course last month, graduating with the highest distinction and a unanimous vote. Horiuchi has won or placed in multiple domestic and international competitions, including the junior division of the Lake Biwa International Flute Competition, often as the youngest competitor or by skipping grades. She is currently active in Paris. Horiuchi said that the rhythmic flow of the French language has enhanced her musical phrasing, and she aims to deliver an accessible and enjoyable performance.

Cellist Yumika Iwasaki, 26, is from Otsu. She won first prize in the ensemble category of the Osaka International Music Competition and the Osaka Prefectural Governor's Award. A graduate of the Tokyo University of the Arts, she now performs as a soloist and chamber musician. Iwasaki focuses on historically informed performance, once using period strings to recreate forgotten etudes by the Spanish cellist Pablo Casals (1876–1973). In the concert, she will perform J. S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 as a solo, hoping the audience will appreciate how she interprets the score and conveys the music through tone and resonance. For the trio, she looks forward to blending different musical sensibilities.

Pianist Nanako Imai, 22, is from Nagahama and is a first-year master's student at the Tokyo University of the Arts graduate school. Last year, she performed as an outstanding student with multiple orchestras, including the Geidai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Aichi Chamber Orchestra, and the Kanazawa Ensemble. Her solo repertoire will feature three works by Chopin, through which she aims to convey delicate, beautiful melodies and the dynamic appeal of the sound. Describing the trio as akin to a football World Cup passing combination, Imai hopes to achieve maximum performance through a "passing of sounds" that allows even listeners unfamiliar with classical music to enjoy the concert easily.