Change of Conductor [Subscription Concerts Program A on October 17 (Sat.) & 18 (Sun.) and NHKSO Brahms Symphony Cycle - Day 1 on October 30 (Fri.)]

What's newJun 29, 2026

Herbert Blomstedt, Honorary Conductor Laureate of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, became unwell during his U. S. tour in May of this year. He has since returned to Europe, where he is currently undergoing treatment and focusing on his recovery.
Although he has made every effort, including dedicated rehabilitation, with the intention of conducting the NHK Symphony Orchestra performances scheduled for October as noted above, he has received firm medical advice to refrain from long-distance air travel for the foreseeable future. It is therefore with deep regret that he has been obliged to withdraw from his planned visit to Japan on this occasion.
Accordingly, for the Subscription Concerts Program A on October 17 (Sat.) & 18 (Sun.) (NHK Hall), the conductor has been changed to the concert’s cover conductor, Matthias Bamert.
In addition, for NHKSO Brahms Symphony Cycle - Day 1 on October 30 (Fri.) (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre), the concert will be conducted by Christoph Eschenbach, who is also scheduled to conduct Day 2 of the cycle.
We sincerely apologize to all patrons who have been looking forward to Blomstedt’s performances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra. We respectfully ask for your kind understanding regarding this change. We also wish to convey that Mo. Blomstedt himself, who has long held Japanese audiences in the highest regard, deeply regrets being unable to travel to Japan on this occasion.

Message from Herbert Blomstedt

October Subscription Concerts (Program A)

Saturday, October 17, 2026 6:00pm at NHK Hall
Sunday, October 18, 2026 2:00pm at NHK Hall

Matthias Bamert, conductor
Bruckner / Symphony No. 5 B-flat Major

NHKSO Brahms Symphony Cycle - Day 1

Friday, October 30, 2026 7:00pm
at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Brahms / Symphony No. 2 D Major Op. 73
Brahms / Symphony No. 4 E Minor Op. 98

*On Day 2 of the “NHKSO Brahms Symphony Cycle” (Saturday, October 31 at 4:00 pm), Christoph Eschenbach will conduct as originally scheduled.

Matthias Bamert, conductor

Swiss-born conductor Matthias Bamert cultivated close relationships with Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen during his studies in Darmstadt and Paris— an experience that influenced his own compositions of the 1970s. After serving as principal oboist of the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, he turned to conducting, gaining formative experience in North America under George Szell and Leopold Stokowski. He later served as Resident Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra under Lorin Maazel.
In 1977, he assumed the position of Music Director of the Swiss Radio Orchestra in his home country. His subsequent posts include Principal Guest Conductor of the Scottish National Orchestra, Director of the Lucerne Festival, and Music Director of the London Mozart Players. From 2018 to 2024, he held the position of Chief Conductor of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra.
A frequent guest with major orchestras throughout Europe, North America, and Asia, Bamert has made more than 80 recordings. His first collaboration with the NHK Symphony Orchestra took place in 2000 for Music Tomorrow. Beginning with Mozart, and extending to Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, and even new music, he has given richly fulfilling performances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra across a wide-ranging repertoire.

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

Born in 1940 in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland), Christoph Eschenbach began his international career as a pianist after winning the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in 1965. Encounters with such legendary figures as George Szell and Herbert von Karajan later led him to conducting. He has since held major positions with leading orchestras around the world, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.
Rooted in the German intellectual line of tradition, he combines this with a rare emotional intensity, a unique combination that has captivated audiences worldwide.
Eschenbach first appeared with the NHK Symphony Orchestra in 1987. In 2017, he returned after an absence of 30 years, attracting considerable attention with performances of the complete Brahms symphonies. Since then, he and the orchestra have collaborated regularly in repertoire closely associated with him, including works by Schumann, Brahms, Bruckner, and Mahler, deepening their artistic partnership.
In October 2026, marking his 86th year, Eschenbach reunites with the NHK Symphony Orchestra to once again take on complete Brahms symphonies—ten years after their previous cycle.