Interview with Ayaka Takagaki: "I was given an answer to my life up to this point" Orchard Hall Classical Concert CD release

When Ayahi Takagaki, a voice actress with roots in classical music and vocal music, decided to perform a live concert at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya, one of these musical halls in 2016, her fans must have been both delighted and satisfied. Her voice has earned her such trust and acclaim. And now, with a full-fledged orchestra, she has finally recorded a set that could only have been performed on this occasion, including classics, musicals, special arrangements, duets, and more. We asked her about the background to the event and her thoughts on this CD, which has been long awaited by fans.

─ ─ I think many fans have been waiting for the release of this concert soundtrack since it was held on November 13, 2016.

Takagaki: Actually, this concert was not planned to be recorded at first. But the producer said, "Even if we don't decide to release it, it would be better to record it, wouldn't it? The engineers were dispatched and the recording situation was quickly set up. The recording was done after all that back and forth, but it was a year and a half before it was released. Since I hadn't heard anything about it, I myself had thought that it would never be released again (laughs). (Laughs.) At the concert on that day, all the songs were rearranged with an orchestra and guests came, so it was something that could only be heard on that day, and I was hoping that not only those who were there that day but also those who were not, would be able to listen to it. So this release was a very pleasant surprise for me.

─ ─ What do you think of Orchard Hall, and how did you feel on this day?

Takagaki: I never thought I would be able to stand up, I never even wanted to stand up ......, it was that far away. I had been to Maaya Sakamoto's and Kokia's concerts and thought it was a wonderful place, but I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be able to perform a classical concert there. When the producer told me rather casually, "The Orchard has been decided," I had to ask him about it. I was like, "...... that? What, in Shibuya? (laughs). Since classical concerts and ballet performances have been held there, I wanted to make it a classical concert in the style of a concert by Ayaka Takagaki, and I think the stage was completely different from ordinary live performances and concerts, with an orchestral arrangement and a two-part structure.
I wanted to become a voice actor since I was in high school, and my mother told me that studying voice seriously would be an advantage as a voice actor, and my high school music teacher recommended that I enroll in a music college. While I was in school, there were times when I thought it was a detour or a detour away from my dream, but even those days when I worried like that, I realized that I was right. I feel that this was a really big reward for me, as if I was given the opportunity to answer all my questions about my life up to this point. The song I sang that day, "Quel GuardoIlCavaliere," was also the song I sang for my graduation exam, so it was an opportunity to challenge myself to go back to my roots and sing it again. The classical arrangement, the Disney cover, and the duet with a man were all things I had been warming up to do someday, so all of these dreams came true on this stage. I am still a work in progress, but I think this was the best stage for me as an important milestone.

───Please tell us about the conductor for this concert, Mr. Mochitomo Goto, and the concertmaster violinist, Ms. Miho Jigyo.

Takagaki: Ms. Jiyuki has been playing the violin since the first concert, and she is indispensable for my solo concerts. I have known Ms. Goto since my first classical cover album "melodia," and she has been playing the piano, conducting, and arranging all the pieces, as well as being the musical director. I was deeply moved to see how long they have been working together.

─ Did you mainly communicate with Mr. Goto about song selection and arrangement?

Takagaki: The setlist itself was basically decided by me, but when I handed it over to Goto-san, he arranged it and wrote the score in no time. I thought it was wonderful because he is really good at his job, and I couldn't stand idly by (laughs). When we recorded the CD, Goto-san arranged the song and it had a lot of natural "fluctuation" in it. There were a lot of natural "fluctuations" in the arrangement, and some of them were changed later to suit my singing. Because it is such a song, it was impossible for me to sing it with a band, and it was impossible for me to sing it with karaoke playing, so I never had a chance to sing it before. But I felt that this was the only chance I could do it, and with Mr. Goto conducting and the orchestra matching my breathing, I was able to perform it with a sense of fulfillment.
I wanted to improve from my student days, and recently as a voice actor, I have been doing character voices and mixed voices, so I have been a little away from classical singing. I went back to the teacher who had recommended me to go to a music school and took lessons with her. When I sang at a concert at the Tokyo International Forum in December 2011, he said "Bravo! (Laughs.) When I finished my song at the Tokyo International Forum in December 2011, he said, "Bravo! The other audience members were so surprised that they called me "Mr. Bravo" among the fans (laughs). I'm sorry, I'm more like a member of my family (laughs). He came to the Orchard and was very pleased with the concert, saying, "It was a good concert.