Beyond technology: ROHM’s commitment to music
04/22/2019
The Rohm Music Foundation aims to bring people together with the power of music
May is the month of Music in the city of Munich. Since many years HIGH END – Europe’s biggest fair for high end audio equipment is attracting more than 20.000 visitors. HifiDeluxe and other smaller specialized fairs increased the music hot spots over the years. Since 2018 ROHM is among the exhibitors and demonstrates its passion for music and audio development. For over 40 years ROHM Semiconductor has been striving for better sound (https://www.rohm.com/blog/-/blog/id/6380817) by developing better and better ICs.
But ROHM’s commitment to music does not only cover technology: The Company supports music culture as well. For this purpose, the Rohm Music Foundation was established on February 19, 1991. Its assets include shares of ROHM Semiconductor, among other things.
For a better society
Music, like any kind of art, brings people together. ROHM is convinced that music culture contributes to the development of a better society. On the one hand the Rohm Music Foundation aims to expand audiences and to bring music to everyone; on the other hand the goals of the foundation include the dissemination and development of the Japanese music culture by providing financial support for music activities.
An important part of the foundation’s activities is the promotion of young musicians. Seminars are organized to nurture the next generation of musicians. Concerts give the participants the possibility to demonstrate what they have learned. Japanese music students studying in Japan or abroad as well as overseas music students studying in Japan can get scholarships that help them to pay for advanced training and focus on their musical career. Since 1991 more than 400 scholars have been supported.
From Japan to the whole world
And there are quite successful musicians among the former scholarship students. The violinist Daishin Kashimoto for instance: Born 1979 in London, he started to get violin lessons at the early age of three. He moved to New York in 1985, and in the following year was accepted as the youngest student in the pre-college division of The Juilliard School. After that, at the age of 11, he moved to Lübeck, Germany, to accept an invitation to study under one of professors and also studied at Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg from age 20. He won several competitions and awards, such as the International Fritz Kreisler Competition and the International Piano and Violin Competition Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud. Eminent orchestras conducted by Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, Mariss Jansons and others had him perform as a soloist with them. In 2009 he became the first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Daishin Kashimoto was a scholarship student in 1992 and 1993, that was quite early in the history of the Rohm Music Foundation. He also played at the ROHM theatre Kyoto at ROHM Music Festival 2017 and felt happy to experience the wonderful concert hall.
Mr. Daishin Kashimoto Played Violin at ROHM Music Festival 2017
A new theatre for Kyoto
ROHM supported the renovation of Kyoto Kaikan, a cultural institution treasured by citizens of Kyoto, in exchange for the naming rights for the next 50 years. On January 10, 2016 the theatre celebrated its grand re-opening under its new name, ROHM Theatre Kyoto. It is located in the Okazaki district of Kyoto, one of the city’s most prominent cultural areas and home to numerous historic shrines and art museums. If you ever have the chance to visit Kyoto, make sure to stop by the theater and enjoy a drink in one of the nearby cafes.
ROHM Theatre Kyoto at Kyoto