NHK Symphony Orchestra x “Ao no Orchestra” SP Concert: Experiencing the “Real Sound” and the Future of Classical Music Through “Resonance” with Anime – Kinbo Ishii, Ryouta Azuma, and Yurie Yamada Discuss [Interview & Report]

A Symphony of Blue: NHK Symphony’s Special Concert with “Aono Orchestra”

In celebration of its upcoming 100th anniversary in 2026, the NHK Symphony Orchestra (N-Kyou) held a special concert at NHK Hall on December 8, 2025. Under the baton of conductor Kimboo Ishii, they brought to life the classical pieces performed by the characters in the anime “Aono Orchestra” (which can be translated as “Blue Orchestra”). This marks the orchestra’s second concert themed around animation, following their first in 2023.

The stage was set for a breathtaking experience. The N-Kyou delivered the iconic classical pieces, played so vividly by protagonists Aono Hajime and Akane Ritsuko in the anime, with their signature supreme sound, utterly captivating the audience. The concert also featured guest appearances by the two violinists who provided the playing for Hajime and Ritsuko in the anime: Tou Ryouta and Yamada Yurie. Furthermore, voice actors Tsuchiya Shinba (who plays Saeki Nao) and Kamiya Hiroshi (who plays Sakuma Yuusuke) made special appearances, entertaining the crowd with their lively banter. This incredible event is scheduled to be broadcast on NHK E-TV on Sunday, January 18, 2026.

We had the opportunity to speak with conductor Kimboo Ishii and violinists Tou Ryouta and Yamada Yurie after the performance. Here is our report from the concert, along with their thoughts on this unique collaboration and the intersection of classical music and anime.

The New Joy of Classical Music, Opened by Animation

— First, please share your impressions of today’s concert.

Kimboo Ishii (Ishii): It really gets your spirits up, doesn’t it? Getting to collaborate with young talent like this. Opportunities like this feel like once-in-a-lifetime encounters, but being able to share and treasure each and every note with everyone was truly a precious experience. I’m just so grateful to have been given this chance. That sums it all up.

Tou Ryouta (Tou): It was genuinely so much fun. Seeing the N-Kyou perform at NHK Hall is a sight I often see on TV, so being able to join them on that stage was a tremendous honor. I think I was really able to enjoy being on stage.

Yamada Yurie (Yamada): I was listening to the performance backstage from the first part, and as I listened, I got more and more excited, my nerves settled, and I was able to perform with real joy during our part.

— This concert was based on the anime “Aono Orchestra.” Could you share your impressions of the work? We heard from staff beforehand, Maestro Ishii, that you had read the original manga very thoroughly.

Ishii: I’m what you’d call a returnee student, and when it comes to manga, I only really knew things like “Dokaben” and “Ace o Nerae!”. So I think this is my third manga, and I just got completely sucked into it. You had this nearly 60-year-old man reading it on the Shinkansen without even putting a cover on it, so people around me probably thought I was strange, but the story’s flow was so beautiful that I was absorbed even there.

Yamada: Just looking at the faces in the audience today, I could feel them sharing every joy and sorrow with the performance. I got the sense that there might be people hearing a classical concert for the first time, or people who developed an interest in classical music through the anime.

Tou: I really felt that, thanks to this work, many people who developed their first interest in the orchestra or the violin actually came to the concert. Every time I hear stories like that, I feel it’s a work with tremendous influence, connecting people to new worlds. As a classical musician, it makes me incredibly happy to see even one more person continuing to enjoy classical music.

The Centuries-Long Line of Classical Music Thickens and Strengthens with “Aono Orchestra”

— This time, videos were playing on the screen behind the performing orchestra.

Ishii: What immediately caught my eye was how skilled Instructor Ayukawa’s conducting was in the anime. I was overwhelmed. I was like, “He’s better than me!” (laughs). But then, Ritsucchi (Akane Ritsuko) here (played by Yamada) is even better than her character in “Aono Orchestra.” Of course, the same goes for Hajime-kun (Aono Hajime). (Tou’s performance) was so wonderful, I think it even surpasses (Hajime’s) father. It’s just the conductor, right? I guess I lost out to Ayukawa (laughs)?

— Anime soundtrack popularity is rising, and anime orchestra concerts are being held more frequently. Now that classical music and anime culture are drawing closer, what are your expectations for the future?

Ishii: Classical music has continued for hundreds of years, but in recent times, it feels like it’s been passed down as something almost too taken for granted, the line growing thin and long. There was a risk that the fiber of that line might one day break, but works like this are making the line thick again. When I think about Mozart and Tchaikovsky being passed down for another 100 or 200 years, my heart races.

Tou: In reality, the number of people newly interested in classical music and the violin is growing. There are many children who started playing the violin because of this work, and even adults who say, “I started the violin because of this anime.” This increase in people who love classical music feels like it’s reaching a new demographic with the help of anime’s power. I think conveying the appeal of classical music through anime like this is something I’d like to continue doing myself, and as one classical performer, I want to keep striving to share that charm.

Yamada: When I went on stage, I was surprised to see so many children in the audience. If you only read the manga, there’s no sound, so you can only sense the atmosphere, but when it becomes an anime and gets sound, people can finally understand “Oh, so this is what it’s like.” I think it’s a great thing that manga becomes anime.

A Program Like a Variety Box of Highlights: The Joy for Anime Fans of Finding a Favorite Tune

— Finally, before the concert footage is broadcast, please tell us the highlights to watch for.

Ishii: Sound itself is invisible and intangible, but through projects like this, we can visualize it, give sound a shape, and convey it in three dimensions. I hope everyone can enjoy this brilliant, three-dimensional performance.

Tou: Today’s concert featured a variety of classical pieces. Even within orchestra works, the scale varies from smaller pieces like Bach’s to large works like the “New World,” where the richness of the sound is completely different, and each piece has its own distinct character. The program is like a charming variety box of all the best parts, so I hope listeners will find their own favorite piece among them.

Yamada: This time, both the orchestra pieces and our performances were excerpts, so I think many who listen will want to hear the other movements, which could be an opportunity to spark interest in various other concerts. Also, the announcer and voice actors provided such fun and interesting talk segments. For those who haven’t watched “Aono Orchestra” until now, this concert could be a chance to discover the work and become a reason to watch the anime. Please enjoy it.

Concert Report: A Rare Stage Where You Can Experience Both Classical Music and Story

On December 8, 2025, with the year-end “Blue Cave” illuminations dyeing the approach to NHK Hall blue, a full house of attendees eagerly awaited the start. When the N-Kyou musicians took the stage, a huge round of applause erupted, and the concert began with a “Christmas Medley” that heightened the festive mood. Familiar masterpieces, played with the beautiful, layered sound of a full orchestra, served as an introduction before diving into the world of “Aono Orchestra.” NHK announcer Hayashida Risa then joined voice actors Tsuchiya Shinba (Saeki Nao) and Kamiya Hiroshi (Sakuma Yuusuke) on stage, guiding the audience with their conversation.

The orchestra concert, which proceeded while introducing the story via anime visuals, truly began with the fourth movement of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World,” a central piece in Season 1 as part of the regular concert program for the powerhouse school, Kaimaku High School’s orchestra club. Other pieces included Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” from the ballet suite “The Nutcracker” and the “Bacchanale” from Saint-Saëns’ opera “Samson and Delilah,” which the Kaimaku High orchestra played in the national competition in Season 2—all songs that resonated in memorable scenes. Under Ishii’s dynamic and emotive conducting, the orchestra’s melodies, sometimes syncing with the visuals and other times evoking memories of the story, reached the audience, who responded with enthusiastic applause after each piece.

The concert’s second part began with Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins,” which Ritsuko played with Hajime for her mother’s birthday in the anime. The violinists who provided the playing for Ritsuko and Hajime, Yamada Yurie and Tou Ryouta, took the stage. Their performance, reminiscent of Ritsuko’s refined sound and Hajime’s confident, commanding presence, swept the audience away.

Between musical pieces, the voice actors and performers shared behind-the-scenes stories from the anime’s production. This concert structure, different from recent anime soundtrack orchestra concerts, offered a rare opportunity to immerse oneself in both classical music and narrative. The rich concert, which even featured music hinting at the anime’s future, left a strong desire to revisit the anime once more.

N-Kyou × Aono Orchestra Special Concert

【Performers】
Conductor: Kimboo Ishii
Violin: Tou Ryouta (provided the playing for protagonist Aono Hajime)
Violin: Yamada Yurie (provided the playing for Akane Ritsuko)
Guest: Tsuchiya Shinba (as Saeki Nao)
Guest: Kamiya Hiroshi (as Sakuma Yuusuke)
MC: Announcer Hayashida Risa

【Concert Program】
Christmas Medley (arranged by Hagimori Hideaki)
Dvořák / Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World” — Movement 4
Tchaikovsky / Ballet Suite “The Nutcracker,” Op. 71a — “Waltz of the Flowers”
Saint-Saëns / Opera “Samson and Delilah” — “Bacchanale”
Bach / Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 — Movement 1, Movement 3
Mendelssohn / Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 — from Movement 1
Akutagawa Yasushi / Music for Symphony Orchestra

【Broadcast】 (Scheduled)
NHK E-TV, Sunday, January 18, 2026, 4:00 PM (60 minutes)

Anime “Aono Orchestra Season 2”

【Broadcast】
NHK E-TV Every Sunday 5:00 PM (Rerun: Every Thursday 7:20 PM)
Official Site: https://one.nhk/aooke

(C) Akuu Makoto / Shogakukan / NHK・NEP・Nippon Animation

Written by: Ebisawa Nachi

_

Source