The sixth in the series of Masterpieces Performed by NHK Symphony Orchestra presents 3 treasured performances from the orchestra's archives. The 2021 Winter Special kicks off with the official reintroduction of Fabio Luisi appointed as the Chief Conductor of the orchestra starting with the 2022-2023 season. Hailing from Genoa, Italy, Luisi is a world-renowned conductor who has held notable positions with the Metropolitan Opera and Staatskapelle Dresden. From his many previous appearances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, we present his 2008 collaboration on one of Beethoven's masterpieces as a harbinger of the orchestra's new era under Luisi's tenure. Second in the series is a Tchaikovsky piece with Herbert Blomstedt at the helm with the work of Johannes Brahms as interpreted by Roger Norrington rounding out the triptych. Each presentation is introduced by music critic Katayama Morihide and Yamamoto Miki.