It was a refreshing autumn day. At 1pm, 127 passengers arrived at the domestic check-in counter at Narita Airport. At the check-in, we were given a program with a detailed explanation of the songs that would be played on the flight.
"For those who love the sky and music." This collaborative project was started with that idea in mind.
The idea of having a violin played on board a JAL flight for the first time in its history began when Shojiro Ito (pictured right below), a member of W-PIT (Wakuwaku-Platform Innovation Team), JAL's in-house venture team that creates excitement, approached the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.
"Both the music and aviation industries are facing tough times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we thought we might be able to do something new with this orchestra, which is working to keep the flame of music alive through various methods," said Ito.
In response, Junji Ohno, conductor of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (pictured above, left), had this to say:
"I was really happy when I heard about the project. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been performing online without an audience, so it is a great honor to have this opportunity to present our work in this new format."
On board this flight were not only two violinists from the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, but also Yuka Yoshida, a JAL flight attendant. She has played the violin since childhood and has also performed as part of the JAL Bell Stars, a musical bell troupe made up of flight attendants.
Hospitality through music also took place on the ground
After checking in and passing through security, guests are greeted by an object made from discarded engine parts called "Angel Orchestra." It was made by a skilled mechanic at JAL's Engine Maintenance Center.
The distinctive feature of this project is that it is divided into two acts, one on the ground and one in the sky. In the first act, a duet was performed in the departure lobby by Katsutaka Hirooka, assistant concertmaster of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, who will also be performing on board, and violinist Kyoko Tsuchiya.
In addition, just before departure, JAL ground service staff performed a surprise dance. In line with the theme of "The Wings of Sound Connect the World," the event expressed the joy of "sound" in a way that is unique to JAL, and will delight customers.
Finally, we started moving towards the empty stage.
Carrying carry-on violin cases provided by JAL, the two violinists proceeded to the boarding gate together with the passengers.
"I believe this is an idea that would never have been conceived if it weren't for the coronavirus pandemic, so although this is a first attempt, we will be delivering the performance as usual," said Hirooka.
"As an airplane enthusiast, I'm very excited about the idea of performing in an environment 10,000 meters above ground. The air pressure and humidity are different from on the ground, but we've come up with various countermeasures, so we'll do our best," said Tsuchiya.
The aircraft prepared for this charter flight was a Boeing 767-300ER for international flights. This is also the entrance to the sky stage, and many staff members are there to welcome the passengers as they disembark from the bus.
In front of the boarding ramp, passengers took commemorative photos with two violinists from the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. They boarded the plane full of anticipation for a concert venue unlike any other.
Let's take to the sky! Before the concert, the violinist will give a commentary on the music and there will be a Q&A session.
The flight began at 3:07 p.m. Captain Itagaki made an in-flight announcement: "Thank you for boarding today. This flight is a Narita sightseeing flight organized by Japan Airlines and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra with the desire to propose new ways to enjoy music and travel through collaboration between the aviation and music industries. Although it is a short flight, we hope to help you create wonderful memories."
The flight route will pass through Yamagata and Aomori, then on to Hakodate and Sapporo. After that, it will turn around at Asahikawa, and return to Narita Airport via Morioka, Sendai, and Fukushima. With Mount Fuji on the left, the concert tour will begin as it travels north across the Japanese archipelago.
On board, passengers were given special original chocolates, which are given as gifts in first class on European flights, as well as a BEAMS amenity kit, which is given in business class on international flights, a boarding certificate, and a mask case created in collaboration with JAL and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.
After the captain's greeting, Mr. Hirooka and Mr. Tsuchiya held a Q&A session based on the questionnaire they had filled out in advance. They told us some unique stories about the band that we don't usually get to hear. They also explained the songs they were going to play!
"This time, I chose songs that evoke images of 'travel' and 'sky.' Even if you're not familiar with classical music, these are all familiar pieces, so I hope you'll enjoy them."
And then, Act 2 begins on the empty stage!
At 4:10 p.m., the second act of the concert finally began. The concert took place in three locations on the plane, with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and the flight attendants moving around as they went.
The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra's duet began with E. Elgar's "Salut d'Amour" and included F. Mendelssohn's "On Wings of Song," for a total of six pieces. Beautiful tones resonated from an overwhelmingly closer distance than in a normal concert.
The flight attendants performed four pieces in total, including V. Young's "Around the World in Eighty Days" and WA Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik, First Movement, K.525."
A graceful sound flowing 10,000 meters above the ground. After the climax, there was an encore!
As the concert drew to a close, the view outside became more moody. An extraordinary and enriching experience flowed on board, where you could enjoy both your hearing and your vision.
After the performance by Hirooka and Tsuchiya of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the audience responded to the thunderous applause by playing "Amazing Grace." The concert ended successfully with this song, chosen to match the ever-changing colors of the sky.
Only at an in-flight concert can the audience be able to applaud and talk to the performers up close after the performance has finished. The two violinists left the stage surrounded by warm cheers from the passengers.
"I think we were able to deliver a sense of realism that is different from the violin tones you can hear at a regular concert venue. I never imagined that an airplane and a violin could collaborate in this way, so it was a valuable experience for us. Thank you very much for today," said Hirooka.
After turning around in Asahikawa, the plane headed to Narita Airport. The night view of Tohoku spread out below us, adding a touch of glamour to the lingering impression of the experience.
After landing, all the staff saw us off. Please look forward to our future charter plans.
Upon arriving at Narita Airport, guests were presented with commemorative gifts, bringing their trip to a close.
Participants were Ishiguro Mario and her daughter Rinyu. Rinyu won an international junior competition and last year participated as a child performer in the "Children's Regular Concert" hosted by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Suntory Hall, where she performed next to Tsuchiya.
"At a time when the world is facing difficult times due to the coronavirus pandemic, I was able to spend some elegant time here and it made me feel at peace," said Mariyo.
Uehara (right) and Nakamura (left) are airplane enthusiasts and participate in all of JAL's charter projects.
"It was truly wonderful. The sight of Hirooka-san and Tsuchiya playing the violin was so beautiful and moving! It was the best charter project I have ever participated in!" said Uehara.
The time spent on a flight is essentially free time for each and every customer. The joy is being able to spend it however you want, whether that be eating a meal, enjoying the in-flight entertainment, or working. However, the smiles on our customers' faces showed us that by setting a theme for how they spend their time on their flight, as they did on this occasion, they can make their time on the flight more enriching than usual. JAL will continue to innovate in various ways to deliver wonderful experiences to our customers.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
