National Symphony Orchestra (Dominican Republic)
The National Symphony Orchestra was officially created on August 5, 1941. Nevertheless, its history can be traced to the beginning of the 20th century, when under the initiative of Juan Bautista Alfonseca, the Octet of the Youth Casino was founded in Santo Domingo.
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.