It was Sept. 6, 2008, when I saw Seiji Ozawa on stage for the first time. It was at the concert space that is now known as Kissei Bunka Hall in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. I took my seat near the back, the lights dimmed and there he was at the podium. His performance was magnetic.
For years, I had only ever seen this legendary conductor on television, but the way he threw his body into leading the orchestra before him had me ¡ª and the sold-out crowd of 2,000 ¡ª transfixed. This was the first time I experienced the music of the Saito Kinen Orchestra live.
The following spring, I was assigned to cover the 2009 Saito Kinen Festival for The Japan Times. In those days, access to Ozawa was limited. However, thanks to the assistance of the maestro¡¯s former manager, Moto Hirasa, I was off to Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, to see Ozawa live for a second time. It was as wonderful as before, but on this occasion I was going to be able to meet the maestro in person, which only added to the rush of adrenaline I felt from watching the show.
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