Twenty years ago, a bold vision took shape: to create a professional chamber orchestra formed entirely of Verbier Festival Orchestra alumni. Today, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (VFCO) has become one of the world’s finest ensembles, carrying the Verbier spirit across concert halls on every continent.
To mark this anniversary year, this special series gives voice to the people who bring this extraordinary orchestra to life.
In a few days’ time, the VFCO sets off on its first tour of Japan: six cities, from Osaka to Nagoya, with a stop at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. The orchestra takes Beethoven with it, and at the piano is Mao Fujita, a name well known to Japanese audiences. Before leaving, the pianist and Gábor Takács-Nagy, the VFCO’s Music Director, spoke to us about the journey ahead.
MAO FUJITA
PIANIST & ACADEMY ALUMNUS
Born in Tokyo in 1998, Mao Fujita is one of the artists to have emerged from the Verbier Festival Academy. Winner of the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition and silver medallist at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, he now performs in leading concert halls around the world.
GÁBOR TAKÁCS-NAGY
MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE VFCO
Gábor Takács-Nagy is one of the most endearing figures in the chamber music world: founder of the legendary Takács Quartet, he reinvented himself as a conductor later in life, bringing to the role an infectious enthusiasm and warmth that have become his hallmark.
What does this tour mean to you?
Gábor Takács-Nagy: It means a great deal, both to me and to the orchestra. We love playing together, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have Mao with us. He’s a remarkable young artist, highly creative, and I know how much he is loved in Japan, which is entirely understandable.
Mao Fujita: It’s very special for me. My journey as a musician really began here, in Verbier. I first came as an artist at 22, to perform the complete Mozart piano sonatas. I’ve come back every summer since. Each time, I’m greeted by familiar faces, and those bonds grow stronger with every visit. I’ve known Gábor and the VFCO for a long time, and to go on tour with an orchestra and a conductor I know so well, at home in Japan… I’m really looking forward to it.
From Verbier to Japan
Gábor Takács-Nagy: All of us in the orchestra have a deep affection for Japan and a great admiration for its culture. Among other venues, we’ll be playing at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. I conducted two concerts there last year with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. I love that hall, and the audience… It’s a fascinating country.
Mao Fujita: Playing with them in Japan, in my home country… it’s hard to put into words. We’ll be performing in six major cities, which is wonderful. We’re always talking about Verbier and what makes it so special, so audiences in Japan hear a great deal about it, they really want to hear what Verbier sounds like. And in a few days, at last, they’ll be able to. We’ll be playing Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos 1 and 2…
Gábor Takács-Nagy: As well as his first two symphonies. What’s so interesting is that even in his early works, Beethoven is already writing at a phenomenal level.