Instrumentalists to Give Array of Virtuoso Solo Performances Alongside Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra

By Masaki Shishido / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:00 JST, March 18, 2026

The Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (YNSO) will be joined by a number of outstanding instrumentalists as soloists in the coming 2026-27 season, and together they will offer a diverse array of exciting musical programs.

Two promising young pianists will charm audiences with a pair of piano concertos by Chopin. In June, Tomoharu Ushida will play Piano Concerto No. 2, which he has performed to wide acclaim in many places, and Alexander Gadjiev, making his first appearance with the YNSO, will be the soloist for Piano Concerto No. 1 in October. Music enthusiasts can hardly wait to hear their polished performances of these beautiful melodies in the two concertos.

As for the violin, Frenchman Renaud Capucon will play Richard Strauss’ Violin Concerto in October. Expectations are growing high for the program, as this is Capucon’s favorite piece. Additionally, Mayumi Kanagawa, winner of the first prize in the violin section of the George Enescu International Competition in 2024, will play Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto under the baton of Juraj Valcuha in September.

Young trumpet player Hayato Kodama, who became much talked about after playing with the YNSO for the first time last year, will be reunited with the orchestra in February 2027 as soloist for B.A. Zimmermann’s Trumpet Concerto “Nobody knows de trouble I see.” Kodama will be just 17, so audiences will get the opportunity to see him continue to develop.

Cellist Sol Gabetta will make her highly anticipated debut with the YNSO in October, playing Schumann’s Cello Concerto conducted by Giovanni Antonini. Her technical mastery and lyricism have already drawn notice. Another must-listen cellist is Jean-Guihen Queyras, who will be the soloist for Elgar’s Cello Concerto in January 2027.

World-famous flutist Emmanuel Pahud will make an appearance with the YNSO in November 2026. It will be hard for audiences to tear their attention away from his virtuoso technique when he plays Philippe Manoury’s flute concerto “Saccades” conducted by Francois-Xavier Roth.