Toyota to Hold 17th Annual Classical Music Concert Series in Asia

Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 26, 2006 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced today that it will hold its annual series of concerts, 'Toyota Classics - A World of Harmony', for classical music fans in Asia from October 22 to November 4. The event will take place in seven cities, including Singapore, Manila and Taipei.

This year's tour - the 17th since TMC began holding the concerts in 1990 - continues to aim at contributing to the culture of music in Asia. The event will also be conducted in cooperation with Toyota distributors in Asia, with proceeds from each concert donated to local charities.

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the 2006 Toyota Classics series will feature the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra performing a collection of Mozart's masterpieces and world-famous classical selections.

The orchestra will be under the direction of Maestro Tatsuya Shimono, an award-winning conductor recognized at the Tokyo International Music Competition and the Besancon International Competition for Young Conductors in France.

The featured soloist will be flutist Ayako Takagi, one of the most acclaimed performers of her generation, whose numerous awards include grand prizes at the Japan Winds Competition. She has also performed extensively with various European orchestras including Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris.

Moreover, the orchestra will perform pieces with local artists to encourage international exchange through music.

Toyota plans to donate the proceeds from ticket sales in each city to local social welfare and other organizations.

An outline of the concert and selected profiles can be found HERE