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O RCHESTRA S ECTION P ROFILE J ASON B ERGMAN , C OLUMN E DITOR K AZUAKI K IKUMOTO , P RINCIPAL T RUMPET , NHK S YMPHONY O RCHESTRA BY M AX M ATZEN January 2021 • Page 8888 ITG Journal / January 2021 © 2021 International Trumpet Guild O RCHESTRA S ECTION P ROFILE J ASON B ERGMAN , C OLUMN E DITOR Matzen: Thank you so much for sitting down with me for this interview. Could you describe a few of your earliest musical influ- ences? Kikumoto: I have an older sister who played clarinet in jun- ior high band. In Japan, there is very special attention and care given to wind orchestra, which includes competitions. There were many wind orchestra concerts and contests, and I have clear memories of being in attendance. They were all very inspiring for me. Matzen: Could you talk about the NHK Symphony audition process? Kikumoto: The preliminaries had only eight players. The repertoire was Haydn’s Concerto and Honegger’s Intrada. There were also many of the standard excerpts. Everyone had to prepare about twenty pieces in total. From this group, they advanced three players. Each of these players was then given a trial in the orchestra. The tri- als lasted for six months in total, and then the trumpet section put forth a vote. Matzen: For the entire orch - estra? Kikumoto: Yes. I had to per form Haydn, Bach’s Christ- mas Oratorio, the posthorn solo from Mahler’s Third Sym- phony, and the “Ballerina’s Dance” from Petroushka. After I was selected, I was required to play an entire-year trial with the orchestra as an intern. Matzen: After your time as an intern, was there a commit- tee vote of some kind? Kikumoto: After the trial year had passed, the entire orchestra voted. In order to Orchestra Section Profile is a “snapshot” of an orchestral player or section at a specific time in history. The column seeks to include sections from all levels of orchestras. Ideas and suggestions should be directed to Jason Bergman; orchprofile@trumpetguild.org K AZUAKI K IKUMOTO , P RINCIPAL T RUMPET , NHK S YMPHONY O RCHESTRA BY M AX M ATZEN K azuaki Kikumoto graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Kyoto City University of Arts, with honors, and also studied at Freiburg University of x Music and Karlsruhe University of Music (Ger - many). He was a member of the Kyoto City Symphony Orchestra for seven years and has been principal trumpet of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo since . Select domestic honors include first place in the nineteenth Japan Wind and Percussion Competition, first place in the nd Japan Music Competition, and recipient of the Masuzawa Award and the E. Nakamichi Award. Inter nat - ional honors include second place at the Jeju Brass Com - petition (Korea), second place in the Ellsworth Smith Inter - national Trumpet Solo Competition (usa), and recipient of the Chosen Vale Award in . He was a featured recitalist at the ITG Conference in Anaheim, California, and is also a member of the Kyoto trumpet group Summer Breeze, the Kyoto Brass Quintet, Japan Brass Collection, and Izumi Sinfonietta Osaka. He is a lecturer at Tokyo University of the Arts and lives with his family in Yokohama, Japan.© 2021 International Trumpet Guild January 2021 / ITG Journal 89 win a permanent position, I needed to get percent of the vote. The NHK Symphony is a ninety-person-plus orchestra. It was all a very tiring experience! Matzen: Who are your principal trumpet teachers? Kikumoto: This is a very difficult question for me. I respect and have learned from all of my teachers. Matzen: Of course. Kikumoto: I am an honors student (laughing). I have stud- ied with ten different teachers, but if I had to select just one teacher to mention right now, it would be my first teacher, Mr. Hiroaki Hayasaka. He was a trumpeter in the Kyoto Sympho- ny Orchestra and the one that started me off. At the University level, I began studying with Mr. Sumiaki Arima, who was also a former member of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. Matzen: Could you share about your time studying with Mr. Arima? Kikumoto: The university I attended was the Kyoto City University of Arts, where Mr. Arima was the primary instruc- tor. One of his principal sayings was “as you like.” For example, during my first examination I asked him about which pieces I should prepare for examinations. His reply was “anything.” I was so confused! I chose to perform Glazunov’s Albumblatt. After the performance, I was shocked to learn that I received the lowest points in all wind instruments. Our examination was supposed to be seven minutes, but the Glazunov was just about five minutes. The other teachers on the committee were very strict about my time not meeting the requirement and gave me a failing grade. Afterward, when I approached Mr. Arima about this, he simply told me I should “learn from failure.” This is very important! Espe- cially at the university level, we can fail many times, but failure can be a very good teacher. Mr. Arima helped me very much with this. At the high school level, I think it is perfectly fine for teachers to give or say everything they can to help the student. However, once the student reach- es college, it is very important for them to take over and seek the best way to learn. Matzen: Would you mind sharing your experiences at Chosen Vale? Kikumoto: I participated in about half of one of the semi- nars in . I was invited to play a recital, because in I participated in the ITG Solo Competition and Ellsworth Smith, where I won second place. Stephen Burns invited me to come to Chosen Vale, and he actually paid for my flight from Japan! Matzen: That’s very nice of him! What repertoire did you per- form for the recital? Kikumoto: The major work I decided to play was the Sonata by Jan Krzywicki. Matzen: That is a very difficult piece! Kikumoto: Yes, it is very, very difficult (laughing). The pianist for the recital was my wife’s cousin, who is an active pianist in the Boston area. I believe Chosen Vale has a YouTube channel where you can still see some of this perform- ance. [https://tinyurl.com/itg2102y] The experience of per- forming there was difficult as well, because Mark Gould and John Wallace were in the audience. I was so nervous, but I was able to play my best. I also participated in some masterclasses with Stephen Burns and Mark Gould. Matzen: It sounds like it was a fantastic experience. Kikumoto: Chosen Vale was a very wonderful and impor- tant experience for me, but one of the most important memo- ries of this time for me was the presence of Mr. Kenzo Kawasa- ki, the legendary trumpet maker for Yamaha. He traveled to America from Japan to hear my performance. This made a great impression on me that I will never forget. Matzen: Have you ever spent any time studying abroad? Kikumoto: Yes. I studied in Freiburg, Germany, as an exchange student for three months. There I was able to study with both Anthony Plog and Ewald Anthony, trumpet player from the Freiburg Theater Orchestra. This was in . I returned to Germany in to study at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe with Reinhold Friedrich, as well as Edward H. Tarr, Klaus Bräker and Laura Vukobratović. I stayed there for one year. Matzen: Were your lessons and classes in German? Kikumoto: Yes. Ich spreche Deutsch (laughing). Matzen: Would you mind sharing some of your experience with Dr. Tarr? Kikumoto: We spent our time exploring Baroque and nat- ural trumpeting. What really stuck with me was his attention to musical detail. Particularly with the music of Bach, he talked about issues concerning basic Baroque articulation and general performance practice. Matzen: What type of Baroque trumpet are you currently using? Kikumoto: I use an Egger three-hole trumpet with the Haas bell. I bought this particular instrument while in Switzerland. Matzen: While in Germany, I assume you were spending most of your time on rotary trumpets? Kikumoto: I was actually doing a good deal of playing on both piston and rotary instruments. Matzen: How was your time studying with Mr. Friedrich? Kikumoto: This time for me was very special. Every day was so special; it is hard for me to put into words. We explored trumpet technique, pedagogy, and music. He said to me, “Music is lively and natural. Not mechanical.” Matzen: Please describe your trumpet gear (trumpets, mouth- pieces). Kikumoto: I am currently playing Yamaha Xeno B- flat and C trumpets. I did, however, have some alter- ations made with these instruments at the Yamaha Atelier Tokyo. Matzen: Could you describe the type of work that was complet- ed? Kikumoto: The NHK Symphony tunes to a=, so I had Mr. Aoyagi (technician from Yamaha Atelier Tokyo) remove about one centimeter from the bow of the bell. This helps keep things closer to pitch with the symphony. So, the bell is normal, but just a little bit shorter. Also, I had them drill a small vent hole in the bottom of the third valve in order to prevent the slide from sticking due to compression. Matzen: Do you have a preference now for either rotary or pis- ton? Kikumoto: In the NHK Symphony, we play a great deal of German and Austrian music. For this repertoire, our prefer- ence is to use rotary instruments. However, we still play pis- tons frequently. “Music is lively and nat- ural. Not mechanical.” “Learn from failure.”90 ITG Journal / January 2021 © 2021 International Trumpet Guild Matzen: Mouthpieces? Kikumoto: I like the Parke Orchestral models for my piston, or American, horns. However, my current mouthpieces are made by Yamaha. The rim size is comparable to a Bach 1x, but the depth of the cup is about a Bach 1c. I also have mouth- pieces of comparable sizes made by Warburton. Matzen: How about rotary trumpets? Kikumoto: I currently use three different rotary trumpets. My main B-flat and C are made by Weimann. Another C trumpet I have is a Schagerl, the Vienna model. About half of our work in nhk is performed on rotary instruments. Matzen: How about mouthpieces for rotary trumpets? Kikumoto: I play a two-piece mouthpiece for my rotary instruments. The tops are made by Toshi Kameyama, and the backbore is made by Breslmair. Matzen: Could you describe your process for preparing for audi- tions or orchestral performances? Kikumoto: Ah, yes (laughing). This question is so dif- ficult for me. There are a great number of orchestral pieces that feature the trumpet in a vari- ety of ways. Sometimes, this can be a challenge for trumpeters who are used to performing solo pieces and melodies. One of my strategies was to do a great deal of listening, as well as performing the trumpet parts along with the recording. For example, during my preparation of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, I focused on five different orchestras. I would listen to and play along with these recordings. By doing so, I felt like I had gained a great deal of confidence and experience with the piece. Matzen: Very interesting. Is there anything else that you prioritize in your preparation? Kikumoto: I think that it is very important for trumpeters to spend time reading complete scores and learning how to play with other instruments. For example, take the lyrical passage from Don Juan by Strauss. Many trumpeters may treat this passage as a solo; however, at this time the trumpet is in unison with violins. Also, with the Carmen prelude, this passage is in unison with the celli, clarinet, and bas- soons. So, I like to read scores and consider all the information I can. A trumpeter must consider all aspects of the orchestra during per- formance. Matzen: The NHK Symphony has a long list of famous conductors, one of whom is Charles Dutoit. Do you have any memories you would like to share about your time performing with him? Kikumoto: Ah! The first piece I was scheduled to play with him was Stravinsky’s Song of the Nightingale. I was so nervous! However, he was very encouraging. I also was scheduled to perform Mahler’s Third Symphony when the person who was performing the posthorn solo became ill. Under Dutoit, I per- formed both principal and the posthorn solo—American style. Again, he was very kind and sup- portive. Matzen: What do you think makes a great orchestral trumpet player? Kikumoto: Flexibility. Not only lip flexibility, I mean (laughing). Matzen: Of course. Kikumoto: An orchestra is a group—not a solo situation. When I play difficult pieces, like maybe by Strauss, it is very important to listen to other play- ers. There needs to be balance between being a part of the general orchestral texture and knowing when it is time to “There needs to be balance between being a part of the general orchestral texture and knowing when it is time to show my ability, or ego.” Continued on Page 102 102 ITG Journal / January 2021 © 2021 International Trumpet Guild show my ability, or ego. This balance can be difficult, but I think this is part of the beauty of being an orchestral player. Matzen: What do you think makes a great orchestral section? Kikumoto: First, respect each other. Next, respect each other (laughing). With trumpet, egos can be very strong, but even so, the section members have to respect each other. That’s all. Matzen: What have you practiced that made the most impact on your playing? Kikumoto: When I practice, I play whatever I am working on as if it is a live performance. I try to treat my practice ses- sions as similar as possible to what it will be like on stage. For example, when I am working on a solo piece, I practice stand- ing up, with the music stand to my left. However, I practice all orchestral works while sitting, with the music stand directly in front of me. Matzen: What advice would you have for a young person who would like to have a career as a professional trumpeter? Kikumoto: I think it is very important for young players to have a dream and the confidence, or courage, to pursue it. Although, when I was growing up, I wanted to be a comedian (laughing). Matzen: What kind of music do you listen to in your free time? Kikumoto: I actually try to avoid listening to classical music, as I consider that to be a part of my job. During my free time, I tend to listen to jazz and J-pop. As far as jazz, I am a fan of Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, and Till Brönner. About the author: Dr. Max Matzen is associate professor of trumpet at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. He is a member of the Emerald Brass Quintet and is a Bach Perform- ing Artist and clinician. “With trumpet, egos can be very strong, but even so, the section members have to res - pect each other. That’s all.” Orchestra Section Profilecontinued from page 90Next >