National Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), founded in 1931, is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C.. Its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra was founded in 1962 by the "Yomiuri Shimbun", Nippon Television, and the Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation. Its first principal conductor was the American conductor Willis Page, who served while on leave from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Hiroshi Wakasugi became the orchestra's first Japanese principal conductor in 1965. Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, the orchestra's fourth principal conductor from 1980 to 1983, held the title of principal guest conductor with the orchestra from 1983 to 1990, and was named one of the orchestra's honorary conductors in 1990. Other conductors with the title of honorary conductor include Kurt Masur, since 1979, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky, since 1990. Tadaaki Otaka, the orchestra's sixth principal conductor from 1992 to 1998, now has the title of honorary guest conductor.