FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2004

MITSUI USA IN THE NEW YORK ARTS SCENE
Company President Binds Ties with New York Philharmonic

New York, NY -- As a leader of the Japanese business community in New York City, Mitsui USA President & CEO Hiroshi Tada and Mrs. Hiroko Tada continued a tradition by hosting for the New York Philharmonic an evening for current and prospective Philharmonic patrons which included a concert and "Green Room" reception with virtuoso Violinist Sarah Chang and Maestro Kurt Masur.

Following a long tradition established by Mitsui USA Presidents, since arriving in New York in April 2003, President Tada has been active on a number of civic boards including the New York Philharmonic's Board of Directors. "Our New York Philharmonic-Mitsui USA relationship is very highly valued. The orchestra provides so many opportunities to enjoy unsurpassed levels of musical expertise. The Philharmonic lightens the heart; it nurtures creativity; it makes me smile!" says Mr. Tada.

President & Mrs. Tada will serve as Chairmen of the New York Philharmonic's Opening Night Gala of the 2004-2005 Season with another Philharmonic Board Member Lizabeth Newman and her husband Frank Newman.

The New York Philharmonic

Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra in the U.S. and one of the oldest in the world. June 6, 2003 marked the Philharmonic's 13,750th concert -- a milestone unmatched by any other orchestra. Opening Night on September 21, 2004 will mark the beginning of the Philharmonic's 163rd Season of 113 concerts over 32 weeks.

Lorin Maazel became Music Director in September 2002. He succeeded Kurt Masur, who was Music Director from 1991 until the summer of 2002, and who was named Music Director Emeritus on June 1, 2002. Previous Music Directors have included Zubin Mehta (1978-91), and Pierre Boulez (1971-77). Leonard Bernstein, who was appointed Music Director in 1958, was given the lifetime title of Laureate Conductor in 1969.

The Education Department of the New York Philharmonic is committed to open doors to symphonic music through programs that are flexible, accessible and affordable. Anyone, regardless of age or musical background, is welcome to explore the richness of this amazing musical resource.

Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc.

Incorporated in the state of New York in 1966, Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. [Mitsui USA] is a leading international trading and diversified service company with 11 Business Divisions in 11 offices nationwide and nearly 400 employees. It operates more than 90 consolidated subsidiaries in various industries across the country.

The Company prides itself on being consistently among the leading U.S. exporters and positively contributing to the country's trade balance. Beyond trading, the Company aims to be a global business creator offering distinctive service capabilities in "Comprehensive Business Engineering" (CBE) to solve problems and create value for clients through an innovative combination of cutting-edge IT, FT (Financial Technology), LT (Logistic Technology).

Mitsui USA's total trade transactions amounted to over $8.7 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2003.

In keeping with Mitsui USA President Tada's service as a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Philharmonic, The Mitsui USA Foundation supports the Philharmonic's Community Outreach and Education Program, Musical Encounters. Each annual season Musical Encounters, consisting of 26 to 30 sessions for NYC area schools, educates nearly 3,000 students of grades 4 through 12 about basic musical concepts and the inner workings of a symphony.

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