The 35th Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival concluded on September 2 with a distinctive chamber concert featuring a rare combination of two trumpets, a viola, and a pipe organ—an instrument not heard at the event in 18 years. The performance was held at Harmony Hall in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, where the organ has been installed since 1987.
Renowned Japanese organist Mari Ohki, one of the country’s leading musicians on the instrument, took part in the finale. Trumpeters Gabor Tarkovi and Osamu Takahashi joined violist Yoshiko Kawamoto to form the ensemble, performing a program that spanned Baroque compositions by Handel and Bach to contemporary works by Czech composer Petr Eben. The concert, titled “The Collaboration,” was largely conceived by Tarkovi, a Saito Kinen Orchestra (SKO) member since 2007 and former principal trumpet of the Berlin Philharmonic.
Tarkovi, inspired by the blend of organ and trumpet he had encountered in European church services, aimed to share this “very good combination” with the festival audience. One particularly powerful moment came during Bach’s “Arioso,” where Tarkovi’s trumpet melody meshed seamlessly with Ohki’s organ accompaniment. Kawamoto, one of the SKO’s leading violists, described being emotionally moved by the performance even before her own segment, which included a tender interpretation of Paul Hindemith’s “Trauermusik,” also accompanied by Ohki.
Another highlight was a rendition of “Summer” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” arranged for organ and two trumpets by Takahashi, who is principal trumpet of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Takahashi acknowledged the challenges of translating the originally string-focused piece to trumpets but delivered a virtuosic performance alongside Tarkovi, featuring impressive high notes praised by Tarkovi as the work of “a master of high notes.”
The festival, which began on August 16, also featured larger-scale performances. On August 29 and 30, Tarkovi, Takahashi, Kawamoto, and the rest of the SKO performed Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C Minor under French conductor Francois-Xavier Roth. Takahashi reflected on the power of the trumpet section during the symphony’s fourth movement, recalling how late maestro Seiji Ozawa once described their sound as “like a big Cadillac.”
Despite the grand scale of those orchestral concerts, the chamber finale offered a more intimate experience, showcasing the musicians’ ability to evoke subtle, often mournful tones. Tarkovi noted that although Ozawa’s death in 2024 left a poignant void, his commitment to returning annually to Matsumoto remains strong. “I’ve never thought I’d stop coming,” Tarkovi said, emphasizing the enduring joy of creating music together—a legacy that continues to define the festival and honor the late maestro.