I attended the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra’s 170th Subscription Concert at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre!
TKWO subscription concerts have finally returned to Ikebukuro!
The first half featured works by Bin Kaneda, whose sound felt strikingly fresh. If I hadn’t known better, I might have believed they were newly written. Even with relatively few percussion instruments, the vibraphone and others added a surprising richness of colour. Perhaps Kaneda’s works were “ahead of their time.”
In the second half, David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 5 offered plenty of highlights: the woodwinds’ rapid passages, the euphonium solo in the third movement, and the extensive use of percussion. But what impressed me most today was Mr Kawahara on trumpet. With his multifaceted playing—including piccolo trumpet and flugelhorn—combined with a rich, resonant tone, he projected an overwhelming presence throughout the performance 🎺
