News Release

Nobutada Saji Elected as Advisory Director of Carnegie Hall

Tokyo, Japan (June 13, 2023) Suntory Group is pleased to announce that Nobutada “Gary” Saji, Representative Director, Chairman of the Board & CEO of the group, has been elected as an Advisory Director of Carnegie Hall, one of the most prestigious music venues in the world. In this role, he will join other corporate and philanthropic leaders from across the US and around the world to help guide the strategic development of Carnegie Hall, ensuring that the Hall continues to remain important to music’s future as it has been to its past. Appointed by Carnegie Hall’s Board of Trustees, Saji is the Hall’s only Advisory Director from Japan.

For nearly 40 years, Carnegie Hall and Suntory Group have worked together to contribute to enriching people’s lives and minds through music. Upon this appointment, Carnegie Hall has commented on their expectations to continuing the partnership and further contributing to the society through music. Suntory Group aims to enhance the relationship with Carnegie Hall, and will work hand in hand to further promote art and culture through music.

<Comment from Nobutada “Gary” Saji, Representative Director, Chairman of the Board & CEO, Suntory Holdings Limited>
“I am deeply honored to be elected for this position. The Suntory Group established Suntory Hall in Tokyo as a music hall exclusively for concerts back in 1986. In doing so, my father and then President Keizo Saji, visited Carnegie Hall and received significant advice. Since then, Suntory Hall, as one of the world’s leading music halls, has developed activities to create rich experiences for people through quality music, and has also collaborated with Carnegie Hall, focusing on education for the next generation. Last year, the Suntory Group opened a new global base in New York, the world's center of culture and the arts. We will further deepen our ties with Carnegie Hall and make efforts to contribute to a better future through music.”

<Suntory Group’s collaboration with Carnegie Hall>
Partnership with Suntory Hall
In 2006, the two parties entered a partnership in educational programs aimed at nurturing the younger generation. Suntory Hall presented “Carnegie Kids”, a program for children ages 3-6, in 2008 and from 2010 to 2013. Promising young musicians were invited from the U.S., and with humorous performances, the richness of music was joyfully shared with approximately 5,000 parents and children.
In 2009, Suntory Hall hosted a “Professional Training Workshop” for one week in Tokyo, inspired by Carnegie Hall’s same workshop program held in New York. Having invited Leon Fleischer, one of the leading pianists in the U.S. as the instructor, this intensive seminar provided young artists who aspire to become professionals with an opportunity to learn music interpretation, performance techniques, and the way of life as a musician directly from one of the world's greatest masters.

Sponsorship
Since 2022, as one of the major sponsorship companies, Suntory Holdings has been holding original opportunities at concerts and events hosted by Carnegie Hall to communicate its corporate purpose and values, and its commitment to craftmanship.

About Suntory Holdings
As a global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products, from premium spirits, beer, wine, ready-to-drink alcohol beverages, to brewed teas, bottled water, still and carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and energy drinks, along with health and wellness products. Suntory is home to award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu, as well as iconic American spirits Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. Suntory also fascinates the taste buds with The Premium Malt's beer, and owns the exceptional Japanese wine, Tomi, and the world-famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection includes Sauza Tequila, non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Ribena, BOSS coffee, Iyemon green tea, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, V and BRAND’S, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.2 billion in 2022. Its 40,885 employees worldwide draw upon the unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.

As a corporation sustained by the gifts of nature and water, Suntory Group will always protect the ecosystems that deliver water. Because its ecosystem is the wellspring, not only of its business and the rich experiences the group creates for people's lives, but also of human life itself. Suntory Group will continue to be a company where everyone is empowered with the freedom and flexibility to innovate. Through all of its corporate pursuits, Suntory seeks to inspire the brilliance of life.

Learn more about Suntory Group, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility and sustainability at www.suntory.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About Carnegie Hall
For more than 130 years, New York City’s Carnegie Hall has been the aspirational destination for the world’s greatest performers and for audiences seeking to experience the emotional thrill of the best in live music. The Hall presents a wide range of performances on its three stages each season, including concert series curated by acclaimed artists and composers; citywide festivals featuring collaborations with leading New York City cultural institutions; orchestral performances, chamber music, new music concerts, and recitals; and the best in jazz, world, and popular music.

Complementing its performance activities, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI) creates extensive music education and social impact programs, playing a central role in fulfilling Carnegie Hall's commitment to making great music accessible to as many people as possible. WMI’s programs, most offered for free or at low cost, annually serve more than 800,000 people worldwide with many more program participants taking part in the Hall’s growing online initiatives. For more information, please visit carnegiehall.org.