Kirishima International Music Festival

The Kirishima International Music Festival is a classical music festival held each summer, centered on the Kirishima Highlands in Kagoshima Prefecture. Beginning in 1980, it is known as one of Japan's representative summer music festivals, inviting first-rate musicians from Japan and abroad to hold concerts and master classes amid the majestic nature of the Kirishima mountain range.

A major feature of this festival is that world-renowned performers participate as "professors," performing in concerts while directly instructing young musicians who will carry the next generation. With the training facility "Miyama Conseru," cradled in Kirishima's rich nature, as its main venue, concerts are held daily over about two weeks. Students receive guidance from world-class musicians and present the fruits of their efforts in concerts.

Set against the majestic nature of the Kirishima mountains and the Kirishima Highlands, also renowned as a hot spring region, this festival, where authentic classical music resounds, is a central presence in summer music culture in Kyūshū. Concerts are also held in surrounding areas such as Kagoshima City and Miyazaki Prefecture, enveloping the entire region in music. Allowing audiences to encounter world-class music amid Kirishima's clear air and beautiful nature, this festival has established itself as an indispensable cultural event of summer in southern Kyūshū.