Suntory Hall Chamber Music Garden 2026

Founded in 2011, Suntory Hall Chamber Music Garden (CMG), is recognised as Japan’s largest chamber music festival. Featuring chamber music in all forms and sizes, CMG takes place every June in the intimate space of the Blue Rose (Small Hall) where the audience can experience chamber music up close. In celebration of the hall’s 40th anniversary season, a total of 24 concerts will take place over 16 days from 5 – 20 Jun, including the complete Beethoven String Quartet cycle by the celebrated Quatuor Ébène. 

Every year, the festival opens with a concert produced and performed by cellist and the hall’s President and cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi. This year, he presents a delightful programme of music for cello ensemble together with three younger colleagues, Yuki Ito, Tatsuki Sasanuma, and Gen Yokosaka on 5 Jun. 

Making its long-awaited debut at the CMG is the world-renowned Quatuor Ébène who will perform the complete Beethoven string quartet cycle, a central feature of the festival. Five years since their groundbreaking Beethoven Around the World project, recording the complete quartets on five continents, they will now embark on this epic journey in Tokyo over 6 days in Jun. 

Also appearing from the first time at the CMG is the New York-based Horszowski Trio, who performs a thoughtfully assembled programme that includes Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No.2 and a piano trio arrangement of Schönberg’s Six Little Piano Pieces by pianist Rieko Aizawa on 19 Jun. Cleveland Orchestra Brass Quintet, formed of five outstanding brass players from the world-renowned orchestra including Michael Sachs (trumpet), combine original quintet repertoire with arrangements of Carmen and Candide on 8 Jun. 

CMG regular, pianist Yu Kosuge has devised two fascinating concerts in this anniversary year. Borrowed Landscape is a chamber play with music by Dai Fujikura which tells the stories of three special instruments that survived the war including a piano that belonged to a girl who died in the Hiroshima bombing on 14 Jun. The second concert features chamber works by Schoenberg and Korngold, whose lives were also affected by the times on 17 Jun. 

Making a welcome return are the professors and students of the Kronberg Academy from Germany on 18 and 20 Jun, who previously appeared at the CMG in 2023. Together with Professors Mihaela Martin (violin), Nobuko Imai (viola), and Frans Helmerson (cello), the students will perform two programmes which include Dvořák’s glorious Piano Quintet and Schubert’s String Quintet.  

Also, the period instrument duo of Atsushi Sakai and Yoshio Watanabe returns to explore the music of J.S. Bach and Schubert on the cello piccolo (a small five-string cello) and the chamber organ/fortepiano on 7 Jun. 

Precious 1pm is a popular series of one-hour concerts held on weekday lunchtimes with talks by the artists from the stage. This year’s line-up includes festival favourites such as Michie Koyama (piano), Naoko Yoshino (harp), and Shigenori Kudo (flute). Also, J-TRAD Ensemble MAHOROBA, one of the foremost Japanese traditional instrument ensembles, performs a celebratory programme including J. S. Bach’s Chaconne on the koto and a world premiere work. 

CMG is a great showcase for the fellows and alumni of the Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy. Prominent alumni, Aoi Trio continues with its highly popular seven-year project for the CMG, combining each of Beethoven’s piano trios with diverse repertoire in the run-up to Beethoven’s anniversary in 2027. Now in its sixth year, Beethoven’s Piano Trio op.70-2 is combined with Takemitsu and Ravel on 11 Jun. They will also take part in the CMG Finale on 20 Jun. 

Another recent alumni, Quartet Integra is joined by esteemed viola player and Academy coaching faculty Kazuhide Isomura. They explore two great masterpieces for the string quintet by Mozart and Dvořák on 14 Jun. 

The ENJOY! Concerts by Chamber Music Academy Fellows, held on Saturday mornings, feature seven current ensembles of the Academy on 6 & 13 Jun. Selected fellows will also take part in the CMG Finale. 

CMG continues to cater for a diverse audience by having concerts at different times of the day, and it features a strong line-up of world-class musicians across the generations. From chamber music beginners to connoisseurs, there is plenty for everyone to enjoy at Chamber Music Garden. 

Text by Nahoko Gotoh 

Details of the Chamber Music Garden 2026 can be found at the following: 
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/articles/detail/136275.html 
*The link will be valid by the beginning of April. 

For further information and press photos, please contact:
suntoryhall-pr@suntory.co.jp 

Public Relations, Suntory Hall 
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