Nahoko Gotoh

Tokyo

Writer and Reviewer at Bachtrack

ロンドン在住の音楽ライター、翻訳家（日⇔英）、通訳。訳書『〈第九〉誕生』（春秋社）。UK-based writer on classical music. Reviewer for Bachtrack. I tweet in both Japanese (70%) and English.

Featured in: Favicon

bachtrack.com

Articles

Schumann Quartett's Beethoven journey at Suntory Hall

1 week ago | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

Another year, another Beethoven quartet cycle at Suntory Hall’s Chamber Music Garden, their annual festival of chamber music held in the intimate space of the Blue Rose hall. Tackling this marathon of performing all of Beethoven’s string quartets over six concerts is the Schumann Quartett from Germany, following the footsteps of the Elias String Quartet (2023) and the Verus Quartet last year.
Sir András Schiff and Cappella Andrea Barca get to the heart of Bach

Mar 25, 2025 | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

When was the last time I listened to Bach's keyboard concertos performed on a modern grand? To be honest, I can’t remember, as most orchestral Bach I hear these days are on period instruments. Which was why I was slightly apprehensive about this concert by Sir András Schiff and Cappella Andrea Barca (a group he formed with friends a quarter of a century ago), one of the programmes they are presenting during their current (and farewell) Asian tour.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Mar 25, 2025 | bachtrack.com | Sangkwon Lee |Nahoko Gotoh

“I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.” If Mozart and Beethoven are the Son and the Holy Ghost of classical music’s Holy Trinity, it is surely Johann Sebastian Bach who is the Father.
Back-to-back Beethoven from Myung-whun Chung and the Tokyo Philharmonic

Feb 28, 2025 | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

Until I opened the programme for Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert at Suntory Hall, I hadn’t realised that the two billed works had been composed back-to-back: The Symphony no. 3 in E flat major "Eroica", Op.55, and the Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C major, Op.56, in 1804.
Sustained efforts: Ambronay’s support for young ensembles

Feb 14, 2025 | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

For lovers of Early Music, the medieval French town of Ambronay has long been a site of pilgrimage, renowned for the Ambronay Festival held in its historic Benedictine abbey. Attracting leading musicians and ensembles from Europe and beyond, the festival has been running every October since 1980. Throughout that time, Ambronay has sought to support musicians at the beginnings of their careers – but in recent decades this contribution has grown significantly.
Sustained efforts: Ambronay’s support for young ensembles

Feb 13, 2025 | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

For lovers of Early Music, the medieval French town of Ambronay has long been a site of pilgrimage, renowned for the Ambronay Festival held in its historic Benedictine abbey. Attracting leading musicians and ensembles from Europe and beyond, the festival has been running every October since 1980. Throughout that time, Ambronay has sought to support musicians at the beginnings of their careers – but in recent decades this contribution has grown significantly.
Yannis Kokkos stages Guillaume Tell in Tokyo

Dec 5, 2024 | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

In these times of war and oppression, it must be tempting for a director to stage an opera like Rossini’s Guillaume Tell – based on Schiller’s drama about Swiss patriot Wilhelm Tell and the 14th-century struggle for independence against the Habsburgs – in a modern setting such as Ukraine or the Middle East.
Glorious clouds, turbulent emotions: Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024

Oct 23, 2024 | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

Unlike some major instrumental competitions which guarantee a string of concerts and even recording opportunities for their winners, conducting competitions don’t always come with immediate glory. Some offer a few concerts, some offer assistant conductorships with the host orchestra, but as Tadaaki Otaka, the Chairperson of the panel of judges the Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024 said at the post-competition press conference, “the prizewinners are just at the starting line.
Glorious clouds, turbulent emotions: Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024

Oct 23, 2024 | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

Unlike some major instrumental competitions which guarantee a string of concerts and even recording opportunities for their winners, conducting competitions don’t always come with immediate glory. Some offer a few concerts, some offer assistant conductorships with the host orchestra, but as Tadaaki Otaka, the Chairperson of the panel of judges the Tokyo International Conducting Competition 2024 said at the post-competition press conference, “the prizewinners are just at the starting line.
Ravishing Tchaikovsky from Weigle and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra

Oct 6, 2024 | bachtrack.com | Nahoko Gotoh

In Europe, Sebastian Weigle is largely known as an opera conductor, having built his reputation as music director of Oper Frankfurt for many years. But to Japanese audiences he is more familiar in symphonic repertoire, having led the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra as Principal Conductor since April 2019, establishing a strong relationship.