16th - 21st Century's Bassoon Player
Takako Kunugi, born and raised in Japan, began her studies on modern bassoon at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. In 2000, she won the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Debut Concert competition in the woodwind section, marking a significant milestone in her career. After completing her studies, she discovered her passion for the baroque bassoon, adding it to her repertoire. She also established herself as a modern bassoonist, performing as principal bassoon with the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and collaborating with orchestras such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and Bach Collegium Japan.
And the study in Amsterdam
Currently based in Europe, Takako performs on historical instruments from her collection, which spans from the 16th to the 19th century. She is highly active in orchestral, operatic, chamber music, and theater performances and has collaborated with top musicians and ensembles. Most recently, she was invited as a soloist at the Cydonia Barocca Music Festival in 2021. Some of the orchestras she has worked with include:
Orchestras:
Bach Collegium Japan (Masaaki Suzuki)
Yokohama Sinfonietta (Kazuki Yamada)
Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco
The Holland Baroque
The Symphonie Atlantiques
Die Kölner Akademie
Die Wiener Akadimie (Martin Haselböck)
Le Cercle de L’Harmonie (Jérémie Rhorer)
The Gabrieli Consort & Players (Paul McCreesh)
B’Rock Orchestra (René Jacobs)
In 2009, Takako moved to Amsterdam to further pursue her studies. She earned her Master's diploma with cum laude honors in 2011 from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she studied modern bassoon under Ronald Karten. A year later, she completed her Bachelor's degree in baroque bassoon, studying with Benny Aghassi. Since then, she has been deeply involved in historically informed performance, collaborating with leading musicians and ensembles across Europe. In addition to her performing career, she began building Curtals in 2014, showcasing her expertise in historical instruments. In 2024, Takako collaborated with Reeds 'n Stuff to develop a new template for baroque bassoon reed-making machinery based on her own model, further cementing her influence in the world of historical bassoon performance and craftsmanship.