Sapporo Symphony Orchestra （Sakkyo） was founded in 1961 and will celebrate its 65th anniversary in 2026. With a nickname “Sakkyo,” it is the only professional orchestra in Hokkaido gaining a high popularity, clear and powerful expression, that suits the vast island. The orchestra worked with Honorary Founding Conductor, ARAYA Masao, Peter SCHWARZ, IWAKI Hiroyuki, AKIYAMA Kazuyoshi, Max POMMER, Radmil ELIŠKA and Matthias BAMERT and now the orchestra holds the Chief Conductor, Elias GRANDY; Honorary Music Director (Cnductor Laureate, from April 2026), OTAKA Tadaaki; Friendship Conductor, HIROKAMI Junichi; Principal Guest Conductor, SHIMONO Tatsuya (from April 2024) and Resident Conductor, KAWASE Kentaro. The orchestra holds 70 members including concertmasters as of March 2026, and its concerts count to 118 annually within and outside Hokkaido. As for the oversea tours, the orchestra made the 50th anniversary Europe Tour in 2011, and visited 5 cities in Taiwan in 2015. Sapporo Symphony Orchestra aims to become the orchestra loved by the people of Hokkaido and will continue to express its musicianship towards the globe.
