On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Sogakudo Concert Hall this year and in commemoration of Olivier Messiaen's centenary, the symphonies, organ music, chamber music, songs, and piano pieces of this great composer, organist and teacher are taken up and reviewed in the Tokyo University of the Arts.

Messiaen fostered the creative potential of students attending the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris, and he exerted considerable influence on composers who graduated from our University, including Yashiro Akio and Mayuzumi Toshiro. The Japanese world of music has also benefited from his great influence.

"Éclairs sur l'Au-delà", Messiaen's last major composition, was performed on April 18 for the second time in Japan. This is a massive orchestral work scored for 120 musicians, and was splendidly conducted by Maestro Yuasa Takuo. The refined tones and colors, particularly in the third movement filled with the most complex rhythms to express the singing of birds, earned thunderous applause from the audience.

The serial performance of Messiaen's organ music opened with "Les corps glorieux" and "Livre d'orgue" on April 12. The pipe organ was illuminated in harmony with the varied tones characteristic of these pieces. This intuitive space creation fascinated the audience and has become a topic of keen interest.

Also scheduled is a series of lectures and concerts focusing on Messiaen's method of composition and his integration of ornithology into music comprising the sounds of birds from all over the world. Without a doubt, the rich musicality of Olivier Messiaen will resound throughout the Sogakudo Concert Hall this year 2008.