History

History of the Yamaha Music Foundation

1954
Yamaha begins program of music classes - precursors of Yamaha Music School
1956
The program named ‘Yamaha Organ School’
1959
Yamaha Organ School renamed ‘Yamaha Music School’
1964
1st Electone Concours held
1965
1st overseas Yamaha Music School opens in the US
1966
  • Yamaha Music Foundation (YMF) established
  • Genichi Kawakami becomes 1st President of YMF
  • Yamaha Music Schools open in Mexico, Canada, and Thailand
1967
  • Yamaha Grade Examination System established
  • 1st All-Japan Light Music Contest held (until 1971)
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Germany
1968
Yamaha Music School opens in Singapore
1969
  • Electone Mate Course (for adults) begins
  • Nemu-no-sato Music Camp opens
  • Junior Music Course established
  • 1st Composition Concours held (1972: becomes ‘Popular Song Contest’, held until 1986)
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Taiwan
1970
  • Nemu Music Academy opens
  • 1st Nemu Jazz Inn held (held annually until 1984)
  • 1st Tokyo International Popular Song Festival held (1971: becomes ‘World Popular Song Festival’, held annually until 1989)
  • Yamaha Music Schools open in the Netherlands, Norway, Australia, and the Philippines
  • Music Foundation established in Australia
1971
  • ‘Cocky Pop’ radio program, linked to the Popular Song Contest (‘Popcon’), starts on Nippon Hoso (LF) (program continues until 1986)
  • Yamaha Music Schools open in Italy, Hong Kong, and Austria
  • Music Foundation and Yamaha Music School established in Indonesia
1972
  • 1st Junior Original Concert (JOC) held
  • 4th Popular Song Contest (‘Popcon’) held (name changed from ‘Composition Concours’)
1973
Yamaha Music Schools open in Switzerland, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, and Brazil
1974
  • First overseas JOCs held in Germany and Mexico
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Malaysia
1975
  • Epicurus Recording Studio opens
  • 1st Nemu Spring Festival held (held annually until 1983)
  • ‘Arranging Popular Music - Practical Guide Ⅰ & Ⅱ’, compiled by Genichi Kawakami, published
1976
  • Yamaha Music Schools open in Venezuela and UK
  • 1st Senior Original Concert held
1977
  • ‘Cocky Pop’ TV program, linked to the Popular Song Contest (‘Pop con’), starts on NTV (program continues until 1986)
  • Genichi Kawakami's ‘In the Beginning was the Song’ published
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Chile
1978
  • Yamaha Music Foundation branch offices open throughout Japan
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Argentina
1981
  • Genichi Kawakami's ‘Children are the Best Teachers’ published
  • JOC held at the UN General Assembly Hall (joint concert with the US National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich)
  • 1st International Original Concert held
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Panama
1982
  • JOC held in Austria (joint concert with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Horst Stein)
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Peru
1983
  • Nemu Music Academy renamed ‘Yamaha Music Academy’
  • Yamaha Music Schools open in Greece and Costa Rica
1986
  • JOC held at Carnegie Hall in New York (joint concert with Canadian Brass)
  • A radio program linked to Teens' Music Festival starts on LF (2000: renamed ‘Teens' Music Wave’)
  • Popular Music School (PMS) Course established
  • Young Original Concert held
  • Genichi Kawakami's ‘Reflections on Music Popularization’ published
1987
  • Broadcast of ‘Original Concert - Music we created’ begins on TV Asahi (ran weekly until 1998)
  • 1st Teens' Music Festival (TMF) National Finals held
  • 1st Band Explosion held (held annually until 1991)
1988
  • Music Scholarship Program established (1999: consolidated into ‘Yamaha Music Support Program’)
  • Yamaha Master Class begins
1989
  • 20th World Popular Song Festival held
  • Yamaha Music Schools open in Uruguay and Bolivia
  • Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe established
1990
Music Research Laboratory established
1991
1st Asia and Oceania JOC held (Singapore)
1992
Music Quest 1992 World Convention held
1995
Hideto Eguchi becomes 2nd President of YMF
1996
Yamaha Music School opens in Columbia
1998
Yamaha Music Schools open in Vietnam and Poland
1999
  • Yamaha Music Support Program established
  • Tsumagoi Music Garden opens
2000
Yamaha Music School opens in Paraguay
2001
  • Yamaha Music Schools open in the Czech Republic, Slovakia
  • JOC 30th Anniversary Concert held
2002
  • 1st President of YMF, Genichi Kawakami, passes away
  • Shuji Ito becomes President of YMF
  • Ayako Uehara wins the piano division of the 12th International Tchaikovsky Competition
2003
  • Miyuki Nakajima's ‘Chijo no Hoshi’ sets new record as the longest- selling CD in Japanese pop music history
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Lithunia
2004
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Korea
  • 1st Yamaha Gala Concert held
2005
  • Yamaha Music School opens in China
  • 1st Yamaha Electone Concours held
  • Miyuki Nakajima wins Minister's Award for Fine Arts (from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
2006
  • 1st YEC Winners Concert held
  • Special Lesson by Mstislav Rostropovich for Yamaha Master Class (Rostropovich passes away in April 2007)
2007
  • 1st Music Revolution held
  • Yamaha Music School opens in Hungary
2008
  • 1st Junior Electone Festival held
  • 1st European JOC held

Top of the page