September 19, 2006

London Symphony Orchestra
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

London Symphony Orchestra and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Launch the 7th Takeda Global Concert Series

Osaka, Japan and London, September 19, 2006 −−− Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda") and the London Symphony Orchestra ("LSO") are delighted to announce the 7th Takeda Global Concert Series of the London Symphony Orchestra which will present LSO concerts worldwide from 2006 − 2008.

The series is launched on September 19 2006 when the LSO will give the second concert in its initial residency at the Salle Pleyel, Paris; the Orchestra will be conducted by Bernard Haitink in four Beethoven Symphonies, following the widely acclaimed Beethoven Symphony Cycle at the Barbican in the past season.

Takeda will sponsor twelve concerts in Europe from 2006 − 2008 with Sir Colin Davis, Valery Gergiev, composer conductor John Adams, Myung-Whun Chung and Sir John Eliot Gardiner and leading international soloists.

In the United States the company will sponsor the Beethoven Symphonies Cycle in the LSO's ninth annual residency at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; this will comprise five concerts in the Great Performers Season at Avery Fisher Hall from October 7 − 13 2006.

During the Orchestra's residency in New York the LSO will introduce for the first time a project new to the United states − LSO Musicians on Call in partnership with Takeda. Six LSO musicians will visit homes of people who are unable to travel to concert halls and play for them with their families −this project is sponsored by Takeda and will be promoted on air by WNYC Radio, New York.

Takeda will also sponsor an extensive tour of Japan between November and December 2008.

Kunio Takeda, Chairman of Takeda states, "We have been sponsoring the LSO since 1989 in order to contribute to cultural exchanges on a global basis. We are pleased very much to support the LSO again for this series in making their wonderful music available to classical music fans across the globe."

Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director of the London Symphony Orchestra states "Our long and highly successful relationship with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company supports our concerts worldwide, for which we are enormously grateful. The LSO looks forward with great anticipation to our 7th Takeda Global Series which will see the launch of our new residency at the Salle Pleyel and our ninth annual residency at the Lincoln Center in New York which this year will introduce home visits for housebound music lovers by LSO Musicians on call in partnership with Takeda."

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