JapanOC next Segerstrom festival

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County and New York’s Carnegie Hall this fall will present JapanOC: a festival celebrating Japan’s culture and arts at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.

The festival is the second in a partnership that began last year between Henry Segerstrom, managing partner of C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, and Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall executive and artistic director. Working together, the philharmonic society, Segerstrom and Gillinson brought Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture to Orange County.

Ancient Paths marked the first time that Carnegie Hall had worked with an outside organization. Because of the positive response to the festival, Segerstrom and Gillinson made a promise to continue to work together and bring back more festivals, each with its own theme.

This year’s festival is from October until April 2011, said Marie Songco-Torres, a spokeswoman from the Philharmonic society.

JapanOC will occur about the same time as JapanNYC, which will be presented by Carnegie Hall in New York.

The schedule for JapanOC, which is sponsored by South Coast Plaza, will not be announced until May, according to a news release issued by the philharmonic.

The opening night celebration of JapanOC will feature the Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra led by conductor Fabio Luisi.