"Don Giovanni," a must-see production this summer/ Tokyo Opera NEXT" is a new opera company that is attracting a lot of attention.

Tokyo Opera NEXT (President, Music Director, and Conductor: Toshiaki Murakami) will hold its first organized performance of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" semi-staged opera at Hakuju Hall (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) on July 5, 2025 (Saturday).

Mozart's "Don Giovanni" Semi-staged Opera

Opera performances by the new opera company "Tokyo Opera NEXT," launched by conductor Toshiaki Murakami in 2024, will finally begin. The first production will be Mozart's masterpiece "Don Giovanni" in a semi-staged format. The semi-stage format is a style that allows the audience to concentrate on the music and acting with a minimal set. The audience can enjoy the magnificent world of the opera while immersing themselves in Mozart's music.

The production is directed by the popular and talented Maiko Ota. The title role will be played by baritone Hibiki Ikeuchi, who won the first prize at the 20th Tokyo Music Competition (2022) and is riding high as a talented young singer. Miho Sakoda, who has grown into one of Japan's leading prima donnas, has been cast as Donna Anna. The stage will be filled with tension and enthusiasm. And Satoshi Asaoka, a very popular concert sommelier, will navigate the charm and content of the work in an easy-to-understand manner for opera novices. In the special space of Hakuju Hall's limited 300-seat capacity, the audience will receive the highest quality and freshest impression.

The future that Tokyo Opera NEXT is aiming for overlaps with the future that opera fans hope for, and this is what you can expect from this performance.

Outline of the performance

Name: Mozart's "Don Giovanni" Semi-staged Opera

Date ： July 5, 2025 (Sat) 16:00 Concert begins （Doors open at 15:30)

Venue: Hakuju Hall (1-37-5 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)

Capacity ： 300 persons

Format ： Semi-staged, performed in the original language with subtitles, in two acts, special version

URL for details: https://operanext.jp/20250705dgtiket/

＜Performers

Don Giovanni : Hibiki Ikeuchi

Donna Anna : Miho Sakoda

Don Ottavio：Shion Nishiyama

Knight Commander ： Denys Vishnia

Donna Elvira ： Asami Fujii

Leporello ： Koji Yamashita

Masetto ：Yuki Sato

Zerlina ： Kaede Kato

Navigator: Satoshi Asaoka

＜Musical Director/Piano

Toshiaki Murakami

＜Director

Maiko Ota

<Chamber Music

NEXT Orchestra

＜Produced by

Akie Amou

Ticket information

Ticket PIA (P code: 295475)

　 https://t.pia.jp/pia/event/event.do?eventCd=2510731

Price (All seats reserved, tax included)

　General: 7,000 yen / U25: 5,000 yen

　At the door: General 7,500 yen / U25: 5,500 yen

NEXT Supporter Club Member Advance Tickets

　Pre-registration starts on March 14. 6,500 yen (1 ticket per member)

Limited to 300 seats. This is a high-profile performance. Early reservation is recommended.

[Comments of support]

Expectations for Tokyo Opera NEXT

Tokyo Opera NEXT, an organization that will open up new horizons in the world of opera, is finally in full swing. Musicians will hone their skills together to realize outstanding performances. Professionals, amateurs, and listeners will stimulate each other and enrich their own musical lives. Weaknesses of Japanese musicians will be turned into strengths. As a result, it will provide better concerts. The goal of "Tokyo Opera NEXT" is exactly what the Japanese opera scene has been waiting for.

The first opera performance organized by Tokyo Opera NEXT is "Don Giovanni. The ideal casting was achieved with first-rate singers of the highest caliber, including Hibiki Ikeuchi as Don Giovanni and Miho Sakoda as Donna Anna. Expectations for the feast they will weave together will be heightened, whether they wish it or not.

-- KAHARA Toshi (Music Critic)

Organizer/Sponsor/Support/Subsidy

Organizer: Tokyo Opera NEXT

Sponsor: Hakuju Hall/Hakuju Institute for Health Science Co., Ltd.

Supported by: Kao Foundation for Arts and Science / Asahi Shimbun Cultural Foundation / Japan Arts Fund

About Tokyo Opera NEXT

Tokyo Opera NEXT is a professional opera company consisting of an orchestra (the NEXT Orchestra), singers, répétiteurs, and a conductor. By creating diverse performance opportunities, we broaden the base of opera fans and contribute to the well-being of people through music. It also aims to function as a platform that supports the lifelong artistic development of musicians.

<Background of Establishment

Tokyo Opera NEXT was founded by Toshiaki Murakami (conductor) and Akie Amou (soprano) as a study group for professional musicians. Having many years of experience working with European opera houses, the two felt strongly about the need for a place where musicians could engage in friendly competition with each other, and they hit it off about the role they should play in the Japanese opera world. Later, Hiromasa Oguroya (contrabassist) joined them to form the NEXT Orchestra, which was incorporated in April 2024. In November of the same year, we welcomed tenor Toshiaki Murakami as a new board member and Yumi Koyama, a world-class mezzo-soprano for many years, as a special artist.

＜About Toshiaki Murakami, President, Music Director and Conductor

After graduating from Toho Gakuen School of Music, Murakami studied in Germany and Austria. While a student at Toho Gakuen School of Music, he studied under Seiji Ozawa, and during his study period, he accompanied Seiji Ozawa on many performances in Japan and Europe as his assistant and studied under him. After returning to Japan after his experience in European theaters, he has been assigned with Seiji Ozawa at the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy for two consecutive years ("Die Fledermaus" in 2016 and "Carmen" in 2017). The spirit of music he inherited from Ozawa and his desire to pass it on to the next generation is reflected in the name of the organization, "NEXT.

<Activities in 2025

In 2025, the second year of its foundation, in addition to this performance, the group will produce its first opera "The Magic Flute" at La Folle Journée TOKYO 2025 in May, and will host a performance of the opera "Hansel and Gretel" in Hakone in December. It will also begin planning a series of song and chamber music concerts (first in the series: June 1, 2025 (Sunday), theme: France), among others.

In addition, the NEXT Orchestra performed Verdi Requiem with Choral Fantasy in Hino (Hino City) in February, followed by German Requiem at the 20th Regular Concert of the Bunkyo Civic Chorus in September. With a series of high-profile projects announced, one cannot take one's eyes off of their future activities.

Outline of the corporation and board of directors

Corporate name: General Incorporated Association Tokyo Opera NEXT (non-profit general incorporated association)

Date of Establishment: April 3, 2024

Representative Director: Toshiaki Murakami(Concuctor)

Directors : Akie Amou, Hiromasa Oguroya, Toshiaki Murakami(Tenor)

Auditor : Tatsunari Asakura