A tiny dream

We meet Kazuki Yamada, Music Director and Artistic Director of the Philharmonie, at the fifth Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Monte Carlo. This conductor, who is highly regarded on the international stage and holds a number of positions, has had an exceptional career. Here, he is a member of the jury, listening to talented young conductors competing in the competition. Permanent conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, music director of the Yokohama Sinfonietta and music director of the Tokyo Philharmonic Choir, he will be artistic advisor and principal conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 2023.

Reserved yet welcoming, he speaks in a soft tone with a disarming, enigmatic smile. His clear, childlike face is pierced by sparkling eyes. Altruistic, he generously reveals, little by little, the fervor of his temperament and the commitment of his artistic quest.

Praskova – Maestro, hello. You are currently a member of the jury for the Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition. What are your thoughts on the impact of this event and the level of the 18 candidates selected?

Kazuki Yamada – It's a pleasure. At the very beginning, I was a little surprised by the high standard of the candidates. It was really appealing. Each of the 18 participants had their own approach, their own technique, and their own musical vision. I noticed that. They had a very short time frame. In 20 minutes, even the least accomplished were able to show how they created music and how they built trust between themselves and the orchestra.

It was really interesting, sometimes surprising, but as a jury we had to choose and it wasn't that easy. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next, we'll see who we choose.

Praskova – What do you think of this opportunity for Monaco's phalanx and its interaction in this particular context?

Kazuki Yamada – To be honest, right now it's a bit of a struggle, but the orchestra is doing a fantastic job. The musicians are working hard, wanting to follow and support the candidates 100%.

It is important to understand that during this competition, it is not only the candidates who progress, but also the orchestra, which adapts and develops. How to react to different conducting styles, how to immediately change energy, feel the depth of a melodic line, but not too much, and all that kind of thing. Ultimately, I am very proud of the result and of the musicians' flexibility. It's a wonderful project that is coming to fruition, and it's very encouraging for all of us. I am touched by their commitment.

Praskova – In 2009, you won the 51st Besançon Conducting Competition. Why are such competitions necessary, and what impact can they have on a career?

Kazuki Yamada – If I remember correctly, one of the current candidates, François Lôpez-Ferrer, also won this competition about ten years ago. Today, he was not selected by the jury in the first round. It's a very delicate situation, but what does it mean? It's an example from which we can learn a lesson. Normally, many young conductors think that if they win a competition, they will immediately go on to conduct major foreign orchestras. This is not certain. In my own experience, this was not the case, and despite the wonderful challenge I set myself and the help provided by the Besançon competition, gifts, and concerts, there was not really any work. Competitions are only one step on a certain path, and I came to understand that to pursue this career, it is essential to find someone who believes in you. A reliable agent, in order to be supported.

Praskova – What, in your opinion, are the tasks and responsibilities that a chef must deal with, and the qualities needed to do this job?

Kazuki Yamada – Of course, the work of a conductor is very demanding and varied. You create the music and you always have to improve. At times you have to find the right atmosphere, not only for the music, but also to help the musicians who may be tired. How do you generate the motivation to develop the orchestra? That is one of the tasks of a musical director and it is all part of the job. However, it becomes more delicate when we have to find partnerships or sponsors. In the United States, for example, the life of a conductor is very hard. After each concert, there are parties with important people that you have to attend to find funding.
Here in Monaco, everything is so much more reassuring and fluid, even though I am very busy. You have to think and do. Now it's time for the Svetlanov competition, I'm a member of the jury, focused on the candidates' performances.
Ultimately, the simplest thing is to prepare for a concert. This is obviously essential, because we have to do it. We have to connect and grasp something magical during rehearsals. Find the ideal chemistry.

To do this, we have a lot to learn, and not just about music. Reading sheet music carefully is the easiest part, but we also need to cultivate ourselves. This requires a great deal of knowledge about nature, science, society, and philosophy. All of this can connect us to music. That's how I see things, as a way of merging into another space. I always say that I need to feel the temperature, the scent, and the color of music, which requires these three elements. But how can we achieve this when the score is only black and white? In my opinion, this comes from cultivating curiosity in order to express each person's personality. By perceiving these things, it may be possible to achieve this. Everything about the orchestra is adjustable. It's the right tempo, yes, no... it's too fast, not fast enough, piano, forte, etc. However, I want to go further and hear a rainbow from this octave... Of course, it's possible to conduct in a totally didactic way, but for myself I need fantasy. Ultimately, I want to perform a miracle, but not just for myself, because there are great conductors like Abbado in Berlin, Zubin Mehta, or Herbert Blomstedt who sometimes do it for themselves. I can't do that; I need the feeling of the orchestra, its power, and also the audience to achieve it. No one knows how to do it, but I always want to try.

Before doing all that, I realized during this competition that music should be a conversation between souls. If the conductor shows his spirit and heart to the orchestra, he will receive sympathy in return from the Symphony. She then reveals her spirit and heart to him, and this creates a conversation. That is my philosophy, but how can we read or discover this mystical atmosphere?

Praskova – What kind of musical child were you? What was your first musical inspiration?

Kazuki Yamada – At the very beginning, there was a piano at home and I was probably curious. I started learning when I was about 5 years old. I was also in a children's choir and loved singing; it came naturally to me. But while I loved the piano, I hated practicing. After my voice broke around the age of 15, which is inevitable for boys, I wanted to continue singing, but I couldn't stay in the choir because my voice had become deeper. My teacher, seeing my difficulties, simply said, "Please conduct... I'm tired of doing it." It was a good thing, because I started conducting the choir. At that time, I was more mature and really wanted to get involved in music... I took piano lessons, and this time I put a lot of effort into it. Later, during my higher education, there was a club with a band, and I became a percussionist. I wasn't extraordinary, but I learned a lot. I played the drums, timpani, xylophone, vibraphone, bells, congas, and marimba. The band was always conducted by the students, and every year a new conductor had to be selected. So I also became the conductor of a marching band. I didn't think I would become a musician because I knew that it was very difficult to survive financially in that line of work. Few people make it, but I imagine they don't have enough talent. So I was 17 when the choir teacher asked me to conduct an orchestra for a very short time. "Since you also conduct a marching band, why not try an orchestra?" I was offered 10 minutes at the end of a concert during an encore that was necessary for the principal conductor. It was a small orchestra, but very professional, and I had ten minutes. Ten minutes of stage fright, in a kind of ecstasy without really touching the ground. But I thought, maybe, just maybe, I could become a conductor. And I worked hard. It was a miraculous experience.

Praskova – In 2023, you will take over as conductor of the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. What will be the focus of your programming?

Kazuki Yamada – Yes, Birmingham is an incredible orchestra. It's a dream come true. Lord, Simon Rattle, Sakharov, Nelsons were there, and now it's me! I immediately realized that I was taking the helm of one of the best orchestras in the world. It's a bit like going to a ball, or something like that. We could tackle a lot of repertoire, but we won't do that much. I'm doing English repertoire: Helgar, Holst, Britten, because as a beginner with them as a conductor, I really need to immerse myself in their culture.

Praskova – What are your favorite connections with France?

Kazuki Yamada – I really love France, but how can I explain this feeling? I love the French spirit, which is not the same as the English spirit, which is the "Spirit." For me, they are not the same thing at all; they are not the same word. The French spirit includes many mysterious aspects. I can appreciate French culture and its history, which has real connections with the history of Japan in the mid-nineteenth century, which also spilled over into Europe. That's why Puccini wrote Madame Butterfly and Debussy was inspired by the Impressionists. This was carried over from Japanese culture to French culture. So this is where the foundation of my spirit lies. Later, Ravel and Debussy made the effort to turn to the United States and jazz. It is absolutely wonderful to see these interactions between Japanese, French, and American cultures mixing and then returning to African culture. This potpourri of colors and sensations is very important for conducting works, especially French music. Nevertheless, even if a conductor does not have exactly the right spirit but the orchestra does, he can still succeed. For example, I am Japanese, I don't always have the right spirit, but I can feel it and manage to get it from the orchestra. It is the harmony of blood.

 Praskova – Do you have a dream, maestro?

Kazuki Yamada – Always... Yes, for me, maybe one day Bayreuth, Berlin, or the Vienna Philharmonic, Pelléas, that sort of thing, but it's so far away.

No. Now, we can't just think about ourselves; there are more important things. Music should really bring harmony, sometimes even between countries. For Russia and Ukraine, it's very difficult, we completely agree, but there are other places experiencing the same difficulties: India and Pakistan, Israel, Japan and Korea, etc. Harmony has no borders; we can experience it through music. Moreover, when people have an extraordinary experience with music, there are no longer any dividing lines. My approach is not political, and my dream is tiny. Let's share and maintain this harmony. And with my other hand, I would say, "Take it easy!" ¶

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