The concert begins in the packed hall.

A gala concert was held at Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan on February 23, featuring the two winning performers from this year’s Long-Thibaud International Competition.
Grand prize winner Ms. Frederieke Saeijs along with Ms. Shion Minami, winner of the second prize, delivered a show that was full of youth and passion. These two musicians are set to make an impact on the international stage. Guest Jean-Jacques Kantorow meanwhile gave a relaxed performance. Their combined talents mesmerized the audience that filled the hall.
As part of its contribution to the community, Nippon Paper Group invited sixty-seven visually impaired guests and their carers to the concert, as it did last year, giving them a rare opportunity to enjoy a live musical event. Also attending the concert were business partners and other invited guests.
 After the concert, a Kleenex Tissue Long-Thibaud Special Box set was provided to all members of the audience. The souvenir proved a hit with the audience.
A video of this concert was broadcast in high definition on BS Fuji TV on March 21, with the sponsorship of the Nippon Paper Group.

Ms. Frederieke Saeijs responds to the audience with a smile.		Ms. Shion Minami performs passionately.

Long-Thibaud International Competition
In 1943, pianist Marguerite Long (1874-1966) and violinist Jacques Thibaud (1880-1953) started the Long-Thibaud International Competition in Paris. The two celebrated French musicians hoped to give talented your performers the opportunity to go out into the world.
With a history now extending beyond 60 years, this competition now stands with the Frederick Chopin International Piano Competition, International Tchaikovsky Competition and Concours Musical International Reine Elisabeth de Belgique. It has produced many musicians of international renown. The Long-Thibaud International Competition is held in cycles of three years, the first of which is the violin contest and the second the piano contest. The third year is a grand gala concert to which the grand-prize winners invited. This year, it was the turn of the violin contest.
Supporting the aims of this event, Nippon Paper Group has sponsored the Gala Concert that is held in Japan as a patron or corporate sponsor of cultural and academic activities. The Group also supports contests held in Paris while offering the Prize for Creativity - Nippon Paper Group to the most creative performer.

Performers and Program
Jean-Jacques Kantorow (examiner for the 2005 competition)
  Beethoven, Violin Concerto
Shion Minami (second-prize winner in 2005)
  Saint-Saëns, Violin Concerto No. 3
Frederieke Saeijs (grand-prize winner in 2005)
  Berg, Violin Concerto
Junichi Hirokami, a conductor
New Japan Philharmonic

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