You know the old trope about getting to Carnegie Hall? Well, you can now enjoy Japanese Whisky once you get there courtesy of Suntory.
Last year, the brand became a major sponsor of Carnegie Hall as part of the 2022–2023 season. As part of this partnership, Suntory supported the Notables Fall Celebration at the legendary New York City venue last December. Selected Notables Committee members and donors were invited to participate in a special whisky tasting before enjoying the evening’s festivities, which consisted of an exclusive concert in Weill Recital Hall and an after-party. Attendees were joined by Shinji Fukuyo, Suntory’s fifth-generation Chief Blender, for a seminar on the history behind the craftsmanship of Suntory’s whiskies and the reasons why whisky and music have more in common than one might think.
“The first blend of Hibiki in 1989 was inspired by music. Dr. Inatomi, Suntory’s third-generation Chief Blender, was a viola player,” said Fukuyo. “He blended Hibiki with Brahms’s Symphony No. 1 in mind.” Guests had the opportunity to sample our Hibiki Japanese Harmony as well as Yamazaki Sherry Cask and Hakushu Smoky—two key components used in the blending process for Hibiki Japanese Harmony. At Suntory, a variety of whiskies are distilled as components and used to create perfectly balanced whiskies—a process we call tsukuriwake, or “diversity of making.” Fukuyo shared more about his role as Chief Blender and the importance of carefully monitoring the quality of whisky during the long-aging process, determining the characteristics of each component, and blending them to create the perfect recipe. According to Fukuyo, “just as an orchestra is made from a harmony of instruments, our whisky is perfected by bringing the harmony of the diverse whiskies together.” After the seminar, participants enjoyed an intimate private concert that featured the Grammy Award–winning Attacca Quartet, followed by an exclusive after-party featuring premier spirits and beverages provided by Suntory and Beam Suntory.
At Suntory, they believe their commitment to enriching people’s lives goes beyond manufacturing consumer and luxury goods. Through this dedication, they aim to share their success with their customers, building long-lasting relationships in the spirit of “Giving Back to society,” while forging greater bonds of appreciation between people and the world around them. As part of those efforts, the brand established Suntory Hall more than 30 years ago as Tokyo’s first-ever dedicated concert hall for live classical music. Since then, Suntory has continued to share the joy of music with people across the globe, offering concerts as well as music education programs.
Recently, Suntory hosted an invite-only whisky tasting experience at Carnegie Hall. House of Suntory Senior Brand Manager Taki Nakatani led the tasting which showcased the intersection between music and Suntory’s Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Collection, which includes Puncheon, Peated Malt, Spanish Oak, Mizunara and 12 Years. The tasting was followed by a Q&A session and a performance by alumni musicians from NYO-Jazz, Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensemble program.
