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Nobuyuki Tsujii

January 01, 1970

Nobuyuki Tsujii (辻井 伸行, Tsujii Nobuyuki) (also known as Nobu Tsujii) is a Japanese pianist and composer. He was born blind due to microphthalmia. Tsujii performs extensively, with a large number of conductors and orchestras, and has received critical acclaim for his unique techniques for learning music and performing with an orchestra while being unable to see.

Nobuyuki Tsujii
Tsujii at Carnegie Hall, May 10, 2019
Background information
Birth nameNobuyuki Tsujii (辻井 伸行)
Born (1988-09-13) September 13, 1988 (age 35)
Tokyo, Japan
Occupation(s)
  • Composer
  • pianist
Instrument(s)Piano
Websiteavex.jp/tsujii/

Early life and education edit

Nobuyuki Tsujii was born blind due to microphthalmia. From an early age, he exhibited exceptional talent and musical ability. At age two, he began to play "Do Re Mi" on a toy piano after hearing his mother hum the tune. He began formal piano study at the age of four. In 1995, at age seven, Tsujii won the first prize at the All Japan Music of Blind Students by the Tokyo Helen Keller Association. In 1998, at age ten, he debuted with the Century Orchestra, Osaka.

He gave his first piano recital in the small hall of Tokyo's Suntory Hall at age 12.[1] Subsequently, he made his overseas debut with performances in the United States, France, and Russia. In October 2005, he reached the semifinal and received the Critics’ Award at the 15th International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw, Poland.[2]

In April 2007, Tsujii entered Ueno Gakuen University majoring in music performance in piano, graduating in March 2011.[3]

Career edit

Tsujii competed in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and tied for the gold medal with Haochen Zhang.[4] He was also awarded the Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the best performance of a new work. He played all twelve of Frédéric Chopin's Études (Op. 10) as part of his performance in the preliminaries. Tsujii was one of the competitors prominently featured in the Peter Rosen documentary film about the 2009 Van Cliburn competition, A Surprise in Texas, which was first broadcast on PBS TV in 2010.[5]

In addition to being a pianist, Tsujii is a composer. At age 12, he performed his own composition "Street Corner of Vienna".[6] He has since released numerous albums of his own compositions. He is also a film music composer and the 2011 recipient of the Japan Film Critics Award for Film Music.

On November 10, 2011, Tsujii made his debut in the main hall (Isaac Stern Auditorium) at Carnegie Hall in New York, as part of the Keyboard Virtuosos II series.[7] [8] Tsujii debuted at the BBC Proms on July 16, 2013, with a performance with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Juanjo Mena.[9]

Tsujii is featured in a 2013 English textbook for high schools in Japan.[10] A 2014 film Touching the Sound, also by Peter Rosen, documents Tsujii's life from birth to his 2011 Carnegie Hall debut, including footage of his visit to the region in Japan that suffered the devastating aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

He won the 1st Prize at the InterArtia 2015 international competition by the International Art Society in Volos, Greece.[11]

On April 21, 2024, Tsujii became the first Japanese pianist to sign an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon[12]

Music edit

Method edit

Tsujii learns new musical works strictly by ear. A 2009 Time article explains: "Certainly, being blind hasn't made it easy. Tsujii can use Braille music scores to learn new pieces, but this kind of translation is usually done by volunteers. Because demand is so low, the variety of scores available does not meet the needs of a professional performer, so Tsujii has devised his own method. A team of pianists records scores along with specific codes and instructions written by composers, which Tsujii listens to and practices until he learns and perfects each piece."[13]

Tsujii said in a 2011 interview, "I learn pieces by listening, but it doesn't mean I'm copying CDs or another person's interpretation. I ask my assistants to make a special cassette tape for me. They split the piece into small sections, such as several bars, and record it (one hand at a time). I call these tapes 'music sheets for ears.' It takes me a few days to complete a short piece, but it takes one month to complete a big sonata or concerto."[14]

Performance technique edit

 
Nobuyuki Tsujii performs at Carnegie Hall January 19, 2023

In 2017, a reporter from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Monique Schafter, asked Tsujii "How do you stay in time when you can't see the conductor?" The pianist replied: " By listening to the conductor's breath and also sensing what's happening around me." The late conductor Bramwell Tovey commented: "He must have very acute hearing, I'm sure."[15]

At a 2023 BBC Proms concert, BBC Radio 3 narrator Martin Handley asked conductor Domingo Hindoyan whether he has to adjust to Tsujii's blindness in any way. Hindoyan replied, "I don't do anything different, absolutely not anything. We worked as I'd work with any soloist. And, probably the fact that he has a special way to learn pieces -- he learns them in a way that is so logical, and he is extremely sensitive. So, he really feels every instrument and every breath from myself, from the concert master and from the orchestra. It's just like he understands the piece from the very soul of it, from very deep. It's really fantastic." [16]

Recordings edit

Tsujii has an extensive discography.[17]

In 2024, Tsujii entered an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon (DG). Tsujii's DG debut album, to be released in early 2025, is to include Beethoven's "Hammerklavier". Additionally, about 15 of Tsujii's albums previously recorded with his Japan label ( Avex Classics) will be re-released worldwide by DG, while Avex CDs will continue to be distributed in Japan. DG will also stream concert videos featuring Tsujii.[18]

Following is a list of his CDs and DVDs, most recent first:

Album title Label Release date Notes
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 & Kapustin 8 Concert Etudes Avex Classics September 7, 2022 with Vasily Petrenko and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; recorded live 2019 at the Liverpool Philharmonic Symphony Hall.
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 Avex Classics September 7, 2022 with Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sydney Symphony Orchestra; recorded live 2016 at the Sydney Opera House.
Maurice Ravel Works Tonkünstler Orchestra February 14, 2020 with Yutaka Sado and Tonkünstler Orchestra; piano concerto recorded live at the Vienna Musikverein.
Franck & Brahms Violin Sonatas, Fumiaki Miura & Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Classics June 26, 2019
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2, Nocturne, Nobuyuki Tsujii × Ashkenazy Avex Classics October 31, 2018 with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin & Vladimir Ashkenazy
Grieg Piano Concerto, Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody Avex Classics May 9, 2018 with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic & Vasily Petrenko
Beethoven Pathetique, Moonlight, Appassionata Avex Classics January 31, 2018
Début 10 years Avex Classics November 8, 2017
Chopin:Etude&Ballad Avex Classics November 23, 2016
Liszt Sonata in B minor & Ravel Gaspard de la nuit Avex Classics July 20, 2016
Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 & 2 Avex Classics October 21, 2015
Impressions Avex Classics July 22, 2015 14 tracks of compositions by Debussy, Ravel and the pianist himself
Nobuyuki Tsujii Works Piano with Orchestra (Maestro!) Avex Classics January 28, 2015 Tsujii's own compositions with orchestra
Emperor & Coronation Nobuyuki Tsujii & Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Avex Classics January 21, 2015
Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Liszt (La Campanella -Virtuoso Liszt! : Nobuyuki Tsujii) Avex Classics September 24, 2014
Touching the Sound: The Improbable Journey of Nobuyuki Tsujii (documentary)[19] EuroArts Music July 2014
月の光～辻井伸行 plays ドビュッシー (Clair de Lune - Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Debussy) CD Avex Classics September 11, 2013
Nobuyuki Tsujii at White Nights (DVD/Blu-ray)[20] EuroArts Music
ジェニーへのオマージュ　自作集CD+自作 LIVE DVD 'Tribute to Jeanie' self-composition CD and DVD Avex Classics December, 2012
辻井伸行 plays 花は咲く Nobuyuki Tsujii plays 'Flowers Bloom' Avex Classics October 17, 2012
辻井伸行　モーツァルト・アルバム Nobuyuki Tsujii - Mozart Album Avex Classics September 5, 2012
はやぶさ　遥かなる帰還　オリジナル・サウンドトラック Hayabusa Harukanaru Kikan Original Soundtrack Avex Classics February 8, 2012 original film music composed by Tsujii
辻井伸行　カーネギーホール・デビューLIVE Nobuyuki Tsujii Carnegie Hall Debut Live! Avex Classics December 28, 2011
それでも、生きてゆく　オリジナル・サウンドトラック('Still We Live'Original Sound Track) Avex Classics August 2011
神様のカルテ~辻井伸行自作集 Nobuyuki Tsujii Works, 2000-2011 Avex Classics July 2011 a collection of Tsujii's own compositions
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 Avex Classics February 2011 with Yutaka Sado and the BBC Philharmonic
My Favorite Chopin Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Classics March 2010
Chopin: Piano Works Victor Japan September 2009 two discs, 10 tracks each; recorded at the Chopin Piano Competition, 2005
Pictures at an Exhibition Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Classics September 15, 2010
Frédéric Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1; Études, Op. 10 harmonia mundi 2010
Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn 2009 Preliminary Round Recital harmonia mundi 2009 also available as a DVD
Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn Semifinal Round Recital harmonia mundi 2009 also available as a DVD
Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn Competition Final Round Recital harmonia mundi 2009 also available as a DVD
Nobuyuki Tsujii, Gold Medalist, 2009 - Winners CD harmonia mundi 2009
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #2 Avex Trax Japan 2008 with conductor Yutaka Sado and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Début Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Entertainment 2007 contains one disc of recitals of works of Chopin, Liszt, and Ravel; and a second disc with five original compositions of Tsujii

Conductors and orchestras edit

 
Nobuyuki Tsujii & conductor Kent Nagano at the Elbphilharmonie, 2019.

Tsujii has performed with numerous orchestras under the baton of many conductors, both in Japan and abroad. Conductors that he performed with in recent years include:[21]

Tsujii has also performed with the Takács Quartet, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Piano concertos edit

Piano concertos that Tsujii has performed include[21] Piano Concerto No. 1 (Beethoven), Piano Concerto No. 2 (Beethoven), Piano Concerto No. 3 (Beethoven), Piano Concerto No. 4 (Beethoven), Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven), Piano Concerto No. 1 (Tchaikovsky), Piano Concerto No. 3 (Prokofiev), Piano Concerto (Grieg), Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff), Piano Concerto No. 3 (Rachmaninoff), Piano Concerto No. 20 (Mozart), Piano Concerto No. 21 (Mozart), Piano Concerto No. 26 (Mozart), Piano Concerto No. 27 (Mozart), Piano Concerto No. 1 (Chopin), Piano Concerto No. 2 (Chopin), Piano Concerto in G (Ravel), Piano Concerto No. 1 (Liszt), Piano Concerto No. 1 (Shostakovich), Piano Concerto No. 2 (Shostakovich), Piano Concerto (Schumann) and Piano Concerto for Nobuuiki Tsujii by Shigeaki Saegusa . He has also performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Compositions edit

In addition to being a pianist, Tsujii is a composer.

At age 12, he performed his own composition "Street Corner of Vienna."[22]

In 2010–2011, he composed the theme music for a Japanese film '神様のカルテ (In His Chart)',[23] for which he was named the 2011 Film Music Artist by the Japan Film Critics Award. That same year, he also composed the theme music for a Japanese TV drama 'それでも、生きてゆく (Still We Live On)'.[24]

In June 2011, Japanese figure skating champion Midori Ito performed in a world event (Master Elite Oberstdorf 2011)[25] to the music of "Whisper of the River," composed by Tsujii when he was in high school to express his love for his father after the two took a walk on the Kanda River in Tokyo.[26]

Tsujii was the music director and composed the theme music for the Japanese film はやぶさ 遥かなる帰還 The Return of the Hayabusa released in February 2012. In 2014, he composed the ending theme for the film 'マエストロ(Maestro!)'.[27]

In 2016, Tsujii created and performed the background music for a series of three animation of Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga scrolls produced by Studio Ghibli for Marubeni Corporation.[28]

Tsujii's 2011 performance of his own composition, "Elegy for the Victims of the Tsunami of March 11, 2011 in Japan", is widely viewed on the Internet.[29]

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, a recording of a composition by Tsujii ("House of Wind") was played while the flag of Japan was carried on stage.[30]

Performances in Japan edit

In his native country, Nobuyuki Tsujii often appears in prestigious performances of national significance. On June 29, 2019, he performed in Osaka for leaders from the Group of 20 major economies.[31] On November 9, 2019, Tsujii performed at the National Celebration for the Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito.[32]

Charity edit

In the wake of Japan's 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Tsujii made numerous contributions to the restoration efforts. He was featured in an original short film "Lights of Japan" shown at the World Economics Summit in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2012.[33] In the film, he performed on a grand piano restored from the ravage of the March 2011 tsunami that devastated Eastern Japan.[34] Additionally, he performed in numerous charity concerts on behalf of Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami victims, including a UNESCO concert held in Paris on March 11, 2012.[35] Part of the proceeds from his 2012 Flowers Bloom CD goes towards Japan's earthquake reconstruction effort.[36]

In addition to his earthquake relief effort, Tsujii frequently performs benefit concerts, such as for children's hospitals,[37] the Japanese Red Cross[38][39] and the disabled.[40]

In the summer of 2012, Tsujii contributed to a one-million rubles donation from the proceeds of an acclaimed concert, in which he performed on July 8 with conductor Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, to the victims of a flood in Kuban that occurred the night before.[41]

On October 25, 2015, Tsujii performed with the Longwood Symphony Orchestra in Boston, in partnership with the Japan Society of Boston and the Berklee College of Music, benefiting the Boston Higashi School and the Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta.[42] On the next day, Tsujii paid a special visit to the Higashi School and "inspired children and staff alike."[43]

In Taiwan on April 15, 2019, Tsujii visited the Taichung Hui Ming School for the Blind at the invitation of the TSMC Culture and Education Foundation, where he performed and spoke to the students, encouraging them to fulfill their potentials.[44]

On March 11, 2021, the 10th anniversary of Japan's 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Tsujii performed in a special concert at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo "to bring together those affected by the disasters and those who have offered support for reconstruction."[45]

On November 2, 2023, Tsujii held a charity performance in Nagoya, Japan, for Japan's AJU Independence House, whose mission is to support "people with severe disabilities [to] continue to work towards social independence."[46]

Outreach edit

In a published eulogy for pianist Van Cliburn, Tsujii wrote: "I heard about his illness and visited him at his home on February 2nd of this year [2013]. He stood up to greet me, and talked with me for more than the scheduled 30 minutes. Our conversation went from advice on playing techniques, to the importance of telling more people about the beauty of classical music, a very wide range of things; it was sprinkled with jokes and stories, and he was very happy. He said that Cliburn medalists like us, in addition to striving to deepen our own musical understanding, can make a strong impression on others to attract them to classical music." [47]

Tsujii takes these words to heart, and has traveled to remote corners of the world to hold concerts. While on tour, he enjoys visiting local elementary schools to engage the students in classical music.[48]

Accolades edit

 
Nobuyuki Tsujii with mother Itsuko at Carnegie Hall 2023

Van Cliburn is quoted as having told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "He was absolutely miraculous. His performance had the power of a healing service. It was truly divine."[49][50] 2009 Van Cliburn Competition Juror Richard Dyer, a chief music critic for The Boston Globe, said, "Very seldom do I close my notebook and just give myself over to it, and he made that necessary. I didn't want to be interrupted in what I was hearing."[51]

2009 Van Cliburn Competition Juror Michel Béroff, an award-winning internationally known pianist, told the Japanese monthly piano magazine Chopin,[52] "The special thing about his performance is his sound. It has depth, color and contrast, the genuine music."[53]

In the documentary A Surprise in Texas, Menahem Pressler, Cliburn juror and an eminent pianist, says: "I have the utmost admiration for [Tsujii]. God has taken his eyes, but given him the physical endowment and mental endowment to encompass the greatest works of piano. For him to play the Chopin concerto with such sweetness, gentleness and sincerity -- it's deeply touching. I had to keep from crying when I left the room."

Scott Cantrell in his review of the 2009 Van Cliburn competition for The Dallas Morning News wrote that "It's almost beyond imagining that he has learned scores as formidable as Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto and Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata by ear…Through all three rounds, he played with unfailing assurance, and his unforced, utterly natural Chopin E-Minor Piano Concerto was an oasis of loveliness."[54][55]

John Giordano, music director and conductor of Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra who was jury chairman for the Cliburn competition, said in 2010, "He’s amazing. We closed our eyes and it’s so phenomenal that it’s hard to withhold your tears. Nobu played the most difficult hour-long Beethoven piece (Hammerklavier, Sonata no. 29) flawlessly. For anyone, it’s extraordinary. But for someone blind who learns by ear, it’s mind-boggling."[56]

In an interview after the November 2011 Carnegie Hall debut recital of Tsujii, Van Cliburn said on TV Asahi, "What a thrill to hear this brilliant, very gifted, fabulous pianist. You feel God's presence in the room when he played. His soul is so pure. His music is so wonderful, and it goes to infinity to the highest heaven."[57]

In a 2014 review in The Daily Telegraph, David Fanning wrote, "...Nobuyuki Tsujii’s performance of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. This was not just supersonic in its tempos but remarkably clean, and also responsive to the fairy-tale poetry that sets off the steely aggression."[58] On Tsujii's debut performance with the Munich Philharmonic on November 4, 2015, the Münchner Merkur wrote "At first he seems a little uncertain, but as soon as he sits down at the piano, he is like a different person. The supposed handicap turns out to be his strength: The Japanese sinks into Beethoven's fifth piano concerto. The high chords of the second movement seem to float with his feather-light touch."[59]

Upon the conclusion of a tour in Japan with Tsujii in November 2015, conductor Valery Gergiev said: "He is not only a great musician and star in Japan, he shows that the human resources are virtually limitless. He shows that there is practically nothing that a human being cannot do."[60]

Conductor Bramwell Tovey, who performed with Tsujii and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House in May 2017, made this comment: "There are lots of pianists who find Chopin baffling. But he's found a way that almost simplifies it, without simplifying any of the technical difficulties, and I mean he makes light of the technical difficulties. He has just found a way to express all of those different emotions on the journey until in the end there's just this incredible feeling of for me, sunlight. I just love playing with him."[15]

In 2017, on the tenth anniversary of Tsujii's career début, pianist-conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy commented: "Nobuyuki Tsujii is one of my very favourite young pianists. He possesses a rare combination of excellent pianism and genuinely expressive musicianship. It is always a great pleasure to work with him and I wish him a future of many wonderful concerts."[61] In a 2018 TV documentary filmed in Iceland, Ashkenazy stated: "It is such a pleasure to play with him, to accompany him because he is so musical, so clear, and I can always understand what he wants to do with music -- that makes accompaniment sort of natural and, in a way, easy. He is so musical, so organic that it is very easy to accompany him. I am very pleased to accompany such a good artist."[62]

Japanese composer Takayuki Hattori wrote: (Translated from Japanese) "The music of Nobuyuki Tsujii is guileless. There is no excessive decoration. He plays the piano with a minimum amount of flourish as required by God. He is one of a few in existence qualified to play the works dedicated to the God of Music by composers. He inspires courage to live and engenders food for thought. It is a pleasure to be alive in the same era as this rare pianist."[61]

Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi, who teamed with Tsujii for the ending theme music of a 2018 film A Forest of Wool and Steel (Japanese: 羊と鋼の森), commented (Translated from Japanese) "Mr. Tsujii is a really wonderful pianist, especially the sense of rhythm is amazing. A neat rhythm without useless things."[63]

In a 2022 concert review, Ivan Hewett of the U.K. newspaper The Daily Telegraph wrote:"Sceptics might suggest that both Tsujii’s adoring fans and those usually hardened critics have been seduced by the overall 'miracle' and aren’t really listening to the music-making. But they would be wrong, because Tsujii’s playing is remarkable by any standards."[64]

In a 2023 concert review, Marc Bridle wrote: "He sells out concerts because he brings quite an unusual gift to the performances he gives – interpretations which are entirely focused on the possibilities of sound and feeling; he almost reinvents the music he is playing. Blind since birth, he relies on everything else he has to turn in performances which are completely different from ones you would hear from other pianists... the phrasing was so clean – and it was delivered superbly...I had found the entire performance gripping [65]

At a press conference held on April 22, 2024, Dr. Clemens Trautmann, President of Deutsche Grammophon commented: “I was captivated when I heard him [Tsujii] perform in London last year. He’s a truly exciting musician, blessed with rare musical inventiveness and insight, which may also stem from the fact that he perceives the world differently. His playing goes straight to the heart, propelled by his phenomenal technique and the uncanny richness of sound he draws from the piano." [66]

References edit

  1. ^ Century Orchestra Osaka website (in Japanese)
  2. ^ "Artist Profile: Nobuyuki Tsujii" 2009-09-11 at the Wayback Machine - Avex Classics (classical record company) website
  3. ^ interview,Chugoku Shimbun, evening edition, April 11, 2011
  4. ^ Jean-Pierre Thiollet, 88 notes pour piano solo, Neva Editions, 2015, p.72. ISBN 978-2-3505-5192-0
  5. ^ "A Surprise in Texas: The Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition", PBS, premiered Wednesday, September 1, 2010.
  6. ^ "辻井 伸行 Official Web Site ++ Nobu Piano. ++". www.nobupiano1988.com. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Nobuyuki Tsujii | The debut of the blind pianist at Carnegie Hall (2011)", EuroArtsChannel, Dec 7, 2017
  8. ^ "A Pianist’s Composition Rounds Off Debut Recital" New York Times Music Review, November 13, 2011
  9. ^ "Proms Archive > 2013; Prom 6: David Matthews, Rachmaninov & Nielsen". BBC. Retrieved 2014-12-22.
  10. ^ "School textbooks feature 'hip' topics", The Yomiuri Shimbun, Mar. 29, 2012
  11. ^ "International Art Society".
  12. ^ "NHK News". Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  13. ^ Oda, Yuki,"'Nobu' Fever: Japan Falls for a Blind Piano Prodigy",Time (magazine). Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009
  14. ^ Foote, Alexander, "Blind piano virtuoso Nobuyuki Tsujii plays in Scottsdale", The Arizona Republic, April 19, 2011
  15. ^ a b "Meet Nobuyuki Tsujii, the blind concert pianist who learns by ear" Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 31, 2017
  16. ^ "BBC Proms 2023 Prom 70: Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto", BBC Radio 3 broadcast, September 8, 2023
  17. ^ http://www.nobupiano1988.com/discography/ Discography - Nobuyuki Tsujii Official Web Site
  18. ^ "Tower Records News". Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  19. ^ Rosen, Peter (2015-04-18), Touching the Sound: The Improbable Journey of Nobuyuki Tsujii, Nick Asano, Nobuyuki Tsujii, retrieved 2018-07-16
  20. ^ "Nobuyuki Tsujii at White Nights". www.euroarts.com. January 2013. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
  21. ^ a b "Nobuyuki Tsujii Official Web Site ++ Nobu Piano. ++". www.nobupiano1988.com. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  22. ^ "Profile", Nobuyuki Tsujii Official Web Site, July 17, 2018
  23. ^ "Pianist Tsujii Nobuyuki composes theme song for Sho Sakurai’s upcoming movie", MomoEdwood's Media Watch, April 15, 2011
  24. ^ "Eita, Mitsushima Hikari co-star in 'Soredemo, Ikite Yuku'", TokyoGraph, May 9, 2011
  25. ^ Dubko1 (12 June 2011). "Midori Ito Master Elite Oberstdorf2011". Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 1 January 2018 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ "【辻井伸行】挑戦し続ける鍵盤アーティスト！映画音楽、グルメにカーネギー…". Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  27. ^ "‘Maestro!’ celebrates mysterious conductor", Japan Times, February 2, 2015
  28. ^ "Studio Ghibli Continues Animation of Chōjū Giga Scrolls With 3rd Ad", Rafael Antonio Pineda, Anime News Network, November 18, 2016
  29. ^ "Pianist in tears!!!. Most moving piano performance", Homo Musicus, Mar 30, 2015
  30. ^ Japan Yahoo News, "Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii's para-opening ceremony performance raises the national flag entrance", Yahoo! News, 24 August 2021
  31. ^ "G-20 leaders end 1st day of Osaka summit with wagyu beef", KYODO NEWS - Jun 29, 2019
  32. ^ "Celebration of Emperor's enthronement held", NHK World, November 10, 2019
  33. ^ "The original short film 'Lights of Japan' for 'Japan Night' at Davos in 2012", Japanese Government Internet TV, February 3, 2012
  34. ^ Japanese: 『ダボスＪＡＰＡＮ　ＮＩＧＨＴ から世界へ復興メッセージ小山薫堂氏が映像制作、各国のリーダーが集う会場で自然と拍手』, Japan Economics News, January 27, 2012
  35. ^ "Disaster anniversary concert in Paris", House of Japan, March 12, 2012
  36. ^ "辻井伸行： 被災地の中学合唱団と共演「素晴らしい経験できた」(Nobuyuki Tsujii: Playing with junior high school choir in the disaster area was a great experience)", 毎日新聞 (Mainichi News), August 17, 2012
  37. ^ "ピアニスト辻井さん、こども病院で慰問コンサート(Pianist Mr. Tsujii , Children's Hospital charity concert)", 長野県内ニュース (Nagano News), October 16, 2012
  38. ^ Japan Red Cross News, December 2012, Vol.871
  39. ^ Japan Red Cross 50th Blood Donation Charity New Year Concert 2015, Sony Foundation, September 6, 2014
  40. ^ "第25回ウェルフェアコンサート開催のお知らせ (The 25th Welfare Concert Announcement)", AJU (Association to Improve the Lives of People with Severe Disabilities in Aichi Prefecture), September 21, 2016
  41. ^ "The Mariinsky Theatre helps victims of the flood in Kuban", Mariinsky Theatre Press Release, July 9, 2012
  42. ^ "Community Conversation", Longwood Symphony Orchestra , August 22, 2016
  43. ^ "Acclaimed Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii Performs; Inspired piano music wows children and staff alike", Boston Higashi School, October 26, 2015
  44. ^ "日本全盲鋼琴家辻井伸行與惠明盲生 看不見的見面會 Japanese blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii and blind students at Hui Ming -- a meeting without seeing", 聯合報 United Daily News(Taiwan), April 15, 2019
  45. ^ "Ten years of concerts help enhance circle of support", the Japan Times, March 11, 2021
  46. ^ "ウェルフェアコンサート[Welfare Concert]", Japan AJU, December 18, 2023
  47. ^ "Eulogy for Mr. Van Cliburn by Nobuyuki Tsujii" Asahi TV news, February 28, 2013
  48. ^ ""Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii holds music class at elementary school in Fujikawaguchiko Town" NHK Kofu News, September 15, 2013
  49. ^ Granberry, Michael,"Van Cliburn 2009: Piano is a passion for blind competitor", The Dallas Morning News, Tuesday May 26, 2009,
  50. ^ For the full article, see: Granberry, Michael,[1], The Dallas Morning News, Tuesday May 26, 2009,
  51. ^ NHK video(NO.2761),"心癒やす至福"の音色 ～ピアニスト・辻井伸行～", NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corporation), July 2, 2009,
  52. ^ Chopin magazine website (in Japanese)
  53. ^ Oda, Yuki, , Time magazine, Wednesday, November 18, 2009
  54. ^ Cantrell, Scott, in the Dallas Morning News, June 2009
  55. ^ Also quoted in the "Van Cliburn Foundation official Gold Medal Winner biography: Nobuyuki Tsujii"
  56. ^ Baird, Mike,"Japan's piano superstar will play with Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra", Corpus Christi Caller Times, Thursday October 7, 2010
  57. ^ BS-Asahi, 『奇跡のピアニスト 辻井伸行23歳 新たなる挑戦(仮)』(a Japanese TV documentary on the Carnegie Hall debut recital of Nobuyuki Tsujii), January 1, 2012
  58. ^ Fanning David, "Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Petrenko, review", The Daily Telegraph, November 21, 2014
  59. ^ Anita Svach, "Mit doppeltem Boden" Münchner Merkur, November 6, 2015
  60. ^ "Die Münchner Philharmoniker in Japan" Bavarian Classic Radio", December 2, 2015
  61. ^ a b "Nobuyuki Tsujii "Debut 10 years" Special Concert Brochure", November 14, 2017
  62. ^ "Nobuyuki Tsujii in Iceland", Fuji TV, October 7, 2018
  63. ^ "The first collaboration of Joe Hisaishi and Nobuyuki Tsujii", March 6, 2018
  64. ^ "Blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii transforms warhorses into things of beauty", The Daily Telegraph, November 7, 2022
  65. ^ "Nobuyuki Tsujii plays an astounding Rachmaninoff Third in one of the great BBC Proms of recent times", Seen and Heard International, September 11, 2023
  66. ^ "Deutsche Grammophon Signs Japanese Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii", Deutsche Grammophon, April 23, 2024

External links edit

  • Official website  
  • "Artist Profile: Nobuyuki Tsujii", Avex Classics. (in Japanese)
  • Parenting Square by Nobuyuki's mother, Itsuko Tsujii (in Japanese)
  • Information for International Fans of Nobuyuki Tsujii
  • "Meet Nobuyuki Tsujii, the blind concert pianist who learns by ear", ABC News Australia.

January 01, 1970
nobuyuki, tsujii, 辻井, 伸行, tsujii, nobuyuki, also, known, nobu, tsujii, japanese, pianist, composer, born, blind, microphthalmia, tsujii, performs, extensively, with, large, number, conductors, orchestras, received, critical, acclaim, unique, techniques, learni. Nobuyuki Tsujii 辻井 伸行 Tsujii Nobuyuki also known as Nobu Tsujii is a Japanese pianist and composer He was born blind due to microphthalmia Tsujii performs extensively with a large number of conductors and orchestras and has received critical acclaim for his unique techniques for learning music and performing with an orchestra while being unable to see Nobuyuki TsujiiTsujii at Carnegie Hall May 10 2019Background informationBirth nameNobuyuki Tsujii 辻井 伸行 Born 1988 09 13 September 13 1988 age 35 Tokyo JapanOccupation s ComposerpianistInstrument s PianoWebsiteavex wbr jp wbr tsujii wbr Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Music 3 1 Method 3 2 Performance technique 3 3 Recordings 3 4 Conductors and orchestras 3 5 Piano concertos 3 6 Compositions 3 7 Performances in Japan 3 8 Charity 3 9 Outreach 4 Accolades 5 References 6 External linksEarly life and education editNobuyuki Tsujii was born blind due to microphthalmia From an early age he exhibited exceptional talent and musical ability At age two he began to play Do Re Mi on a toy piano after hearing his mother hum the tune He began formal piano study at the age of four In 1995 at age seven Tsujii won the first prize at the All Japan Music of Blind Students by the Tokyo Helen Keller Association In 1998 at age ten he debuted with the Century Orchestra Osaka He gave his first piano recital in the small hall of Tokyo s Suntory Hall at age 12 1 Subsequently he made his overseas debut with performances in the United States France and Russia In October 2005 he reached the semifinal and received the Critics Award at the 15th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw Poland 2 In April 2007 Tsujii entered Ueno Gakuen University majoring in music performance in piano graduating in March 2011 3 Career editTsujii competed in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and tied for the gold medal with Haochen Zhang 4 He was also awarded the Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the best performance of a new work He played all twelve of Frederic Chopin s Etudes Op 10 as part of his performance in the preliminaries Tsujii was one of the competitors prominently featured in the Peter Rosen documentary film about the 2009 Van Cliburn competition A Surprise in Texas which was first broadcast on PBS TV in 2010 5 In addition to being a pianist Tsujii is a composer At age 12 he performed his own composition Street Corner of Vienna 6 He has since released numerous albums of his own compositions He is also a film music composer and the 2011 recipient of the Japan Film Critics Award for Film Music On November 10 2011 Tsujii made his debut in the main hall Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall in New York as part of the Keyboard Virtuosos II series 7 8 Tsujii debuted at the BBC Proms on July 16 2013 with a performance with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Juanjo Mena 9 Tsujii is featured in a 2013 English textbook for high schools in Japan 10 A 2014 film Touching the Sound also by Peter Rosen documents Tsujii s life from birth to his 2011 Carnegie Hall debut including footage of his visit to the region in Japan that suffered the devastating aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami He won the 1st Prize at the InterArtia 2015 international competition by the International Art Society in Volos Greece 11 On April 21 2024 Tsujii became the first Japanese pianist to sign an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon 12 Music editMethod edit Tsujii learns new musical works strictly by ear A 2009 Time article explains Certainly being blind hasn t made it easy Tsujii can use Braille music scores to learn new pieces but this kind of translation is usually done by volunteers Because demand is so low the variety of scores available does not meet the needs of a professional performer so Tsujii has devised his own method A team of pianists records scores along with specific codes and instructions written by composers which Tsujii listens to and practices until he learns and perfects each piece 13 Tsujii said in a 2011 interview I learn pieces by listening but it doesn t mean I m copying CDs or another person s interpretation I ask my assistants to make a special cassette tape for me They split the piece into small sections such as several bars and record it one hand at a time I call these tapes music sheets for ears It takes me a few days to complete a short piece but it takes one month to complete a big sonata or concerto 14 Performance technique edit nbsp Nobuyuki Tsujii performs at Carnegie Hall January 19 2023 In 2017 a reporter from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Monique Schafter asked Tsujii How do you stay in time when you can t see the conductor The pianist replied By listening to the conductor s breath and also sensing what s happening around me The late conductor Bramwell Tovey commented He must have very acute hearing I m sure 15 At a 2023 BBC Proms concert BBC Radio 3 narrator Martin Handley asked conductor Domingo Hindoyan whether he has to adjust to Tsujii s blindness in any way Hindoyan replied I don t do anything different absolutely not anything We worked as I d work with any soloist And probably the fact that he has a special way to learn pieces he learns them in a way that is so logical and he is extremely sensitive So he really feels every instrument and every breath from myself from the concert master and from the orchestra It s just like he understands the piece from the very soul of it from very deep It s really fantastic 16 Recordings edit Tsujii has an extensive discography 17 In 2024 Tsujii entered an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon DG Tsujii s DG debut album to be released in early 2025 is to include Beethoven s Hammerklavier Additionally about 15 of Tsujii s albums previously recorded with his Japan label Avex Classics will be re released worldwide by DG while Avex CDs will continue to be distributed in Japan DG will also stream concert videos featuring Tsujii 18 Following is a list of his CDs and DVDs most recent first Album title Label Release date Notes Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2 amp Kapustin 8 Concert Etudes Avex Classics September 7 2022 with Vasily Petrenko and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra recorded live 2019 at the Liverpool Philharmonic Symphony Hall Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3 Avex Classics September 7 2022 with Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sydney Symphony Orchestra recorded live 2016 at the Sydney Opera House Maurice Ravel Works Tonkunstler Orchestra February 14 2020 with Yutaka Sado and Tonkunstler Orchestra piano concerto recorded live at the Vienna Musikverein Franck amp Brahms Violin Sonatas Fumiaki Miura amp Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Classics June 26 2019 Chopin Piano Concerto No 2 Nocturne Nobuyuki Tsujii Ashkenazy Avex Classics October 31 2018 with Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin amp Vladimir Ashkenazy Grieg Piano Concerto Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody Avex Classics May 9 2018 with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic amp Vasily Petrenko Beethoven Pathetique Moonlight Appassionata Avex Classics January 31 2018 Debut 10 years Avex Classics November 8 2017 Chopin Etude amp Ballad Avex Classics November 23 2016 Liszt Sonata in B minor amp Ravel Gaspard de la nuit Avex Classics July 20 2016 Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 amp 2 Avex Classics October 21 2015 Impressions Avex Classics July 22 2015 14 tracks of compositions by Debussy Ravel and the pianist himself Nobuyuki Tsujii Works Piano with Orchestra Maestro Avex Classics January 28 2015 Tsujii s own compositions with orchestra Emperor amp Coronation Nobuyuki Tsujii amp Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Avex Classics January 21 2015 Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Liszt La Campanella Virtuoso Liszt Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Classics September 24 2014 Touching the Sound The Improbable Journey of Nobuyuki Tsujii documentary 19 EuroArts Music July 2014 月の光 辻井伸行 plays ドビュッシー Clair de Lune Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Debussy CD Avex Classics September 11 2013 Nobuyuki Tsujii at White Nights DVD Blu ray 20 EuroArts Music ジェニーへのオマージュ 自作集CD 自作 LIVE DVD Tribute to Jeanie self composition CD and DVD Avex Classics December 2012 辻井伸行 plays 花は咲く Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Flowers Bloom Avex Classics October 17 2012 辻井伸行 モーツァルト アルバム Nobuyuki Tsujii Mozart Album Avex Classics September 5 2012 はやぶさ 遥かなる帰還 オリジナル サウンドトラック Hayabusa Harukanaru Kikan Original Soundtrack Avex Classics February 8 2012 original film music composed by Tsujii 辻井伸行 カーネギーホール デビューLIVE Nobuyuki Tsujii Carnegie Hall Debut Live Avex Classics December 28 2011 それでも 生きてゆく オリジナル サウンドトラック Still We Live Original Sound Track Avex Classics August 2011 神様のカルテ 辻井伸行自作集 Nobuyuki Tsujii Works 2000 2011 Avex Classics July 2011 a collection of Tsujii s own compositions Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1 Avex Classics February 2011 with Yutaka Sado and the BBC Philharmonic My Favorite Chopin Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Classics March 2010 Chopin Piano Works Victor Japan September 2009 two discs 10 tracks each recorded at the Chopin Piano Competition 2005 Pictures at an Exhibition Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Classics September 15 2010 Frederic Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 Etudes Op 10 harmonia mundi 2010 Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn 2009 Preliminary Round Recital harmonia mundi 2009 also available as a DVD Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn Semifinal Round Recital harmonia mundi 2009 also available as a DVD Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn Competition Final Round Recital harmonia mundi 2009 also available as a DVD Nobuyuki Tsujii Gold Medalist 2009 Winners CD harmonia mundi 2009 Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2 Avex Trax Japan 2008 with conductor Yutaka Sado and the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin Debut Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Entertainment 2007 contains one disc of recitals of works of Chopin Liszt and Ravel and a second disc with five original compositions of Tsujii Conductors and orchestras edit nbsp Nobuyuki Tsujii amp conductor Kent Nagano at the Elbphilharmonie 2019 Tsujii has performed with numerous orchestras under the baton of many conductors both in Japan and abroad Conductors that he performed with in recent years include 21 Vladimir Ashkenazy Philharmonia Orchestra Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Sydney Symphony Orchestra Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin and Iceland Symphony Orchestra Valery Gergiev Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra Orchestra Teatro alla Scala and Munich Philharmonic Vladimir Spivakov Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra Vasily Petrenko Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra Bramwell Tovey Sydney Symphony Orchestra Vladimir Jurowski London Philharmonic Orchestra Michael Sanderling Dresden Philharmonic Romanian Youth Orchestra Kent Nagano Hamburg Philharmonic Andrew Manze NDR Radiophilharmonie Patrick Hahn Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Yutaka Sado Tonkunstler Orchestra BBC Philharmonic Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin James Conlon Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Miguel Harth Bedoya Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Darrell Ang Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Marko Letonja Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg Neil Thomson Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Juanjo Mena BBC Philharmonic Randall Craig Fleischer Hudson Valley Philharmonic Youngstown Symphony Orchestra John Giordano Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra Thierry Fischer Swiss Italian Orchestra Jean Marie Zeitouni Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Paolo Carignani Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Mitiyoshi Inoue Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Yuzo Toyama NHK Symphony Orchestra Eliahu Inbal Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra Michael Collins Sinfonieorchester Basel Lukasz Borowicz Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra Kazuyoshi Akiyama Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra Tatsuya Shimono Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra Alexander Mickelthwate Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Stilian Kirov substituting for Ludovic Morlot Seattle Symphony Orchestra Arild Remmereit Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Andriy Yurkevych Munich Symphony Orchestra Scott Speck Mobile Symphony Orchestra Kaspar Zehnder Sinfonieorchester Basel Pascal Rophe substituting for Marc Minkowski Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Yuko Tanaka Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Michiyoshi Inoue Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Ronald Feldman Longwood Symphony Orchestra Sylvain Cambreling Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Christopher Warren Green Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Tetsuji Honna Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra Kosuke Tsunoda Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra Kazuki Yamada Yokohama Sinfonietta Robert Trevino Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi Naoto Ōtomo Ryukyu Symphony orchestra Fumiaki Miura ARK sinfonietta Ryusuke Numajiri Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Takeshi Oi Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra Louis Langree Los Angeles Philharmonic Sebastian Weigle Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Domingo Hindoyan Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Erik Nielsen conductor Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa Jiri Rozen Seattle Symphony Alexander Shelley National Arts Centre Orchestra Peter Oundjian Sarasota Orchestra Marc Leroy Calatayud Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa Ryusuke Numajiri Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra Tsujii has also performed with the Takacs Quartet the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe Piano concertos edit Piano concertos that Tsujii has performed include 21 Piano Concerto No 1 Beethoven Piano Concerto No 2 Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3 Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1 Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 3 Prokofiev Piano Concerto Grieg Piano Concerto No 2 Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 3 Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 20 Mozart Piano Concerto No 21 Mozart Piano Concerto No 26 Mozart Piano Concerto No 27 Mozart Piano Concerto No 1 Chopin Piano Concerto No 2 Chopin Piano Concerto in G Ravel Piano Concerto No 1 Liszt Piano Concerto No 1 Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 2 Shostakovich Piano Concerto Schumann and Piano Concerto for Nobuuiki Tsujii by Shigeaki Saegusa He has also performed Gershwin s Rhapsody in Blue and Rachmaninov s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Compositions edit In addition to being a pianist Tsujii is a composer At age 12 he performed his own composition Street Corner of Vienna 22 In 2010 2011 he composed the theme music for a Japanese film 神様のカルテ In His Chart 23 for which he was named the 2011 Film Music Artist by the Japan Film Critics Award That same year he also composed the theme music for a Japanese TV drama それでも 生きてゆく Still We Live On 24 In June 2011 Japanese figure skating champion Midori Ito performed in a world event Master Elite Oberstdorf 2011 25 to the music of Whisper of the River composed by Tsujii when he was in high school to express his love for his father after the two took a walk on the Kanda River in Tokyo 26 Tsujii was the music director and composed the theme music for the Japanese film はやぶさ 遥かなる帰還 The Return of the Hayabusa released in February 2012 In 2014 he composed the ending theme for the film マエストロ Maestro 27 In 2016 Tsujii created and performed the background music for a series of three animation of Chōju jinbutsu giga scrolls produced by Studio Ghibli for Marubeni Corporation 28 Tsujii s 2011 performance of his own composition Elegy for the Victims of the Tsunami of March 11 2011 in Japan is widely viewed on the Internet 29 At the 2020 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony a recording of a composition by Tsujii House of Wind was played while the flag of Japan was carried on stage 30 Performances in Japan edit In his native country Nobuyuki Tsujii often appears in prestigious performances of national significance On June 29 2019 he performed in Osaka for leaders from the Group of 20 major economies 31 On November 9 2019 Tsujii performed at the National Celebration for the Enthronement of Emperor Naruhito 32 Charity edit In the wake of Japan s 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Tsujii made numerous contributions to the restoration efforts He was featured in an original short film Lights of Japan shown at the World Economics Summit in Davos Switzerland in January 2012 33 In the film he performed on a grand piano restored from the ravage of the March 2011 tsunami that devastated Eastern Japan 34 Additionally he performed in numerous charity concerts on behalf of Japan s 2011 earthquake and tsunami victims including a UNESCO concert held in Paris on March 11 2012 35 Part of the proceeds from his 2012 Flowers Bloom CD goes towards Japan s earthquake reconstruction effort 36 In addition to his earthquake relief effort Tsujii frequently performs benefit concerts such as for children s hospitals 37 the Japanese Red Cross 38 39 and the disabled 40 In the summer of 2012 Tsujii contributed to a one million rubles donation from the proceeds of an acclaimed concert in which he performed on July 8 with conductor Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra to the victims of a flood in Kuban that occurred the night before 41 On October 25 2015 Tsujii performed with the Longwood Symphony Orchestra in Boston in partnership with the Japan Society of Boston and the Berklee College of Music benefiting the Boston Higashi School and the Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta 42 On the next day Tsujii paid a special visit to the Higashi School and inspired children and staff alike 43 In Taiwan on April 15 2019 Tsujii visited the Taichung Hui Ming School for the Blind at the invitation of the TSMC Culture and Education Foundation where he performed and spoke to the students encouraging them to fulfill their potentials 44 On March 11 2021 the 10th anniversary of Japan s 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami Tsujii performed in a special concert at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo to bring together those affected by the disasters and those who have offered support for reconstruction 45 On November 2 2023 Tsujii held a charity performance in Nagoya Japan for Japan s AJU Independence House whose mission is to support people with severe disabilities to continue to work towards social independence 46 Outreach edit In a published eulogy for pianist Van Cliburn Tsujii wrote I heard about his illness and visited him at his home on February 2nd of this year 2013 He stood up to greet me and talked with me for more than the scheduled 30 minutes Our conversation went from advice on playing techniques to the importance of telling more people about the beauty of classical music a very wide range of things it was sprinkled with jokes and stories and he was very happy He said that Cliburn medalists like us in addition to striving to deepen our own musical understanding can make a strong impression on others to attract them to classical music 47 Tsujii takes these words to heart and has traveled to remote corners of the world to hold concerts While on tour he enjoys visiting local elementary schools to engage the students in classical music 48 Accolades edit nbsp Nobuyuki Tsujii with mother Itsuko at Carnegie Hall 2023 Van Cliburn is quoted as having told the Fort Worth Star Telegram He was absolutely miraculous His performance had the power of a healing service It was truly divine 49 50 2009 Van Cliburn Competition Juror Richard Dyer a chief music critic for The Boston Globe said Very seldom do I close my notebook and just give myself over to it and he made that necessary I didn t want to be interrupted in what I was hearing 51 2009 Van Cliburn Competition Juror Michel Beroff an award winning internationally known pianist told the Japanese monthly piano magazine Chopin 52 The special thing about his performance is his sound It has depth color and contrast the genuine music 53 In the documentary A Surprise in Texas Menahem Pressler Cliburn juror and an eminent pianist says I have the utmost admiration for Tsujii God has taken his eyes but given him the physical endowment and mental endowment to encompass the greatest works of piano For him to play the Chopin concerto with such sweetness gentleness and sincerity it s deeply touching I had to keep from crying when I left the room Scott Cantrell in his review of the 2009 Van Cliburn competition for The Dallas Morning News wrote that It s almost beyond imagining that he has learned scores as formidable as Rachmaninoff s Second Piano Concerto and Beethoven s Hammerklavier Sonata by ear Through all three rounds he played with unfailing assurance and his unforced utterly natural Chopin E Minor Piano Concerto was an oasis of loveliness 54 55 John Giordano music director and conductor of Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra who was jury chairman for the Cliburn competition said in 2010 He s amazing We closed our eyes and it s so phenomenal that it s hard to withhold your tears Nobu played the most difficult hour long Beethoven piece Hammerklavier Sonata no 29 flawlessly For anyone it s extraordinary But for someone blind who learns by ear it s mind boggling 56 In an interview after the November 2011 Carnegie Hall debut recital of Tsujii Van Cliburn said on TV Asahi What a thrill to hear this brilliant very gifted fabulous pianist You feel God s presence in the room when he played His soul is so pure His music is so wonderful and it goes to infinity to the highest heaven 57 In a 2014 review in The Daily Telegraph David Fanning wrote Nobuyuki Tsujii s performance of Prokofiev s Piano Concerto No 3 This was not just supersonic in its tempos but remarkably clean and also responsive to the fairy tale poetry that sets off the steely aggression 58 On Tsujii s debut performance with the Munich Philharmonic on November 4 2015 the Munchner Merkur wrote At first he seems a little uncertain but as soon as he sits down at the piano he is like a different person The supposed handicap turns out to be his strength The Japanese sinks into Beethoven s fifth piano concerto The high chords of the second movement seem to float with his feather light touch 59 Upon the conclusion of a tour in Japan with Tsujii in November 2015 conductor Valery Gergiev said He is not only a great musician and star in Japan he shows that the human resources are virtually limitless He shows that there is practically nothing that a human being cannot do 60 Conductor Bramwell Tovey who performed with Tsujii and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House in May 2017 made this comment There are lots of pianists who find Chopin baffling But he s found a way that almost simplifies it without simplifying any of the technical difficulties and I mean he makes light of the technical difficulties He has just found a way to express all of those different emotions on the journey until in the end there s just this incredible feeling of for me sunlight I just love playing with him 15 In 2017 on the tenth anniversary of Tsujii s career debut pianist conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy commented Nobuyuki Tsujii is one of my very favourite young pianists He possesses a rare combination of excellent pianism and genuinely expressive musicianship It is always a great pleasure to work with him and I wish him a future of many wonderful concerts 61 In a 2018 TV documentary filmed in Iceland Ashkenazy stated It is such a pleasure to play with him to accompany him because he is so musical so clear and I can always understand what he wants to do with music that makes accompaniment sort of natural and in a way easy He is so musical so organic that it is very easy to accompany him I am very pleased to accompany such a good artist 62 Japanese composer Takayuki Hattori wrote Translated from Japanese The music of Nobuyuki Tsujii is guileless There is no excessive decoration He plays the piano with a minimum amount of flourish as required by God He is one of a few in existence qualified to play the works dedicated to the God of Music by composers He inspires courage to live and engenders food for thought It is a pleasure to be alive in the same era as this rare pianist 61 Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi who teamed with Tsujii for the ending theme music of a 2018 film A Forest of Wool and Steel Japanese 羊と鋼の森 commented Translated from Japanese Mr Tsujii is a really wonderful pianist especially the sense of rhythm is amazing A neat rhythm without useless things 63 In a 2022 concert review Ivan Hewett of the U K newspaper The Daily Telegraph wrote Sceptics might suggest that both Tsujii s adoring fans and those usually hardened critics have been seduced by the overall miracle and aren t really listening to the music making But they would be wrong because Tsujii s playing is remarkable by any standards 64 In a 2023 concert review Marc Bridle wrote He sells out concerts because he brings quite an unusual gift to the performances he gives interpretations which are entirely focused on the possibilities of sound and feeling he almost reinvents the music he is playing Blind since birth he relies on everything else he has to turn in performances which are completely different from ones you would hear from other pianists the phrasing was so clean and it was delivered superbly I had found the entire performance gripping 65 At a press conference held on April 22 2024 Dr Clemens Trautmann President of Deutsche Grammophon commented I was captivated when I heard him Tsujii perform in London last year He s a truly exciting musician blessed with rare musical inventiveness and insight which may also stem from the fact that he perceives the world differently His playing goes straight to the heart propelled by his phenomenal technique and the uncanny richness of sound he draws from the piano 66 References edit Century Orchestra Osaka website in Japanese Artist Profile Nobuyuki Tsujii Archived 2009 09 11 at the Wayback Machine Avex Classics classical record company website interview Chugoku Shimbun evening edition April 11 2011 Jean Pierre Thiollet 88 notes pour piano solo Neva Editions 2015 p 72 ISBN 978 2 3505 5192 0 A Surprise in Texas The Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition PBS premiered Wednesday September 1 2010 辻井 伸行 Official Web Site Nobu Piano www nobupiano1988 com Retrieved 1 January 2018 Nobuyuki Tsujii The debut of the blind pianist at Carnegie Hall 2011 EuroArtsChannel Dec 7 2017 A Pianist s Composition Rounds Off Debut Recital New York Times Music Review November 13 2011 Proms Archive gt 2013 Prom 6 David Matthews Rachmaninov amp Nielsen BBC Retrieved 2014 12 22 School textbooks feature hip topics The Yomiuri Shimbun Mar 29 2012 International Art Society NHK News Retrieved 2024 04 21 Oda Yuki Nobu Fever Japan Falls for a Blind Piano Prodigy Time magazine Wednesday Nov 18 2009 Foote Alexander Blind piano virtuoso Nobuyuki Tsujii plays in Scottsdale The Arizona Republic April 19 2011 a b Meet Nobuyuki Tsujii the blind concert pianist who learns by ear Australian Broadcasting Corporation May 31 2017 BBC Proms 2023 Prom 70 Rachmaninov s Third Piano Concerto BBC Radio 3 broadcast September 8 2023 http www nobupiano1988 com discography Discography Nobuyuki Tsujii Official Web Site Tower Records News Retrieved 2024 04 22 Rosen Peter 2015 04 18 Touching the Sound The Improbable Journey of Nobuyuki Tsujii Nick Asano Nobuyuki Tsujii retrieved 2018 07 16 Nobuyuki Tsujii at White Nights www euroarts com January 2013 Retrieved 2018 07 16 a b Nobuyuki Tsujii Official Web Site Nobu Piano www nobupiano1988 com Retrieved 1 January 2018 Profile Nobuyuki Tsujii Official Web Site July 17 2018 Pianist Tsujii Nobuyuki composes theme song for Sho Sakurai s upcoming movie MomoEdwood s Media Watch April 15 2011 Eita Mitsushima Hikari co star in Soredemo Ikite Yuku TokyoGraph May 9 2011 Dubko1 12 June 2011 Midori Ito Master Elite Oberstdorf2011 Archived from the original on 2021 12 20 Retrieved 1 January 2018 via YouTube a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link 辻井伸行 挑戦し続ける鍵盤アーティスト 映画音楽 グルメにカーネギー Retrieved 1 January 2018 Maestro celebrates mysterious conductor Japan Times February 2 2015 Studio Ghibli Continues Animation of Chōju Giga Scrolls With 3rd Ad Rafael Antonio Pineda Anime News Network November 18 2016 Pianist in tears Most moving piano performance Homo Musicus Mar 30 2015 Japan Yahoo News Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii s para opening ceremony performance raises the national flag entrance Yahoo News 24 August 2021 G 20 leaders end 1st day of Osaka summit with wagyu beef KYODO NEWS Jun 29 2019 Celebration of Emperor s enthronement held NHK World November 10 2019 The original short film Lights of Japan for Japan Night at Davos in 2012 Japanese Government Internet TV February 3 2012 Japanese ダボスＪＡＰＡＮ ＮＩＧＨＴ から世界へ復興メッセージ小山薫堂氏が映像制作 各国のリーダーが集う会場で自然と拍手 Japan Economics News January 27 2012 Disaster anniversary concert in Paris House of Japan March 12 2012 辻井伸行 被災地の中学合唱団と共演 素晴らしい経験できた Nobuyuki Tsujii Playing with junior high school choir in the disaster area was a great experience 毎日新聞 Mainichi News August 17 2012 ピアニスト辻井さん こども病院で慰問コンサート Pianist Mr Tsujii Children s Hospital charity concert 長野県内ニュース Nagano News October 16 2012 Japan Red Cross News December 2012 Vol 871 Japan Red Cross 50th Blood Donation Charity New Year Concert 2015 Sony Foundation September 6 2014 第25回ウェルフェアコンサート開催のお知らせ The 25th Welfare Concert Announcement AJU Association to Improve the Lives of People with Severe Disabilities in Aichi Prefecture September 21 2016 The Mariinsky Theatre helps victims of the flood in Kuban Mariinsky Theatre Press Release July 9 2012 Community Conversation Longwood Symphony Orchestra August 22 2016 Acclaimed Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii Performs Inspired piano music wows children and staff alike Boston Higashi School October 26 2015 日本全盲鋼琴家辻井伸行與惠明盲生 看不見的見面會 Japanese blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii and blind students at Hui Ming a meeting without seeing 聯合報 United Daily News Taiwan April 15 2019 Ten years of concerts help enhance circle of support the Japan Times March 11 2021 ウェルフェアコンサート Welfare Concert Japan AJU December 18 2023 Eulogy for Mr Van Cliburn by Nobuyuki Tsujii Asahi TV news February 28 2013 Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii holds music class at elementary school in Fujikawaguchiko Town NHK Kofu News September 15 2013 Granberry Michael Van Cliburn 2009 Piano is a passion for blind competitor The Dallas Morning News Tuesday May 26 2009 For the full article see Granberry Michael 1 The Dallas Morning News Tuesday May 26 2009 NHK video NO 2761 心癒やす至福 の音色 ピアニスト 辻井伸行 NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation July 2 2009 Chopin magazine website in Japanese Oda Yuki Nobu Fever Japan Falls for a Blind Piano Prodigy Time magazine Wednesday November 18 2009 Cantrell Scott in the Dallas Morning News June 2009 Also quoted in the Van Cliburn Foundation official Gold Medal Winner biography Nobuyuki Tsujii Baird Mike Japan s piano superstar will play with Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra Corpus Christi Caller Times Thursday October 7 2010 BS Asahi 奇跡のピアニスト 辻井伸行23歳 新たなる挑戦 仮 a Japanese TV documentary on the Carnegie Hall debut recital of Nobuyuki Tsujii January 1 2012 Fanning David Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Petrenko review The Daily Telegraph November 21 2014 Anita Svach Mit doppeltem Boden Munchner Merkur November 6 2015 Die Munchner Philharmoniker in Japan Bavarian Classic Radio December 2 2015 a b Nobuyuki Tsujii Debut 10 years Special Concert Brochure November 14 2017 Nobuyuki Tsujii in Iceland Fuji TV October 7 2018 The first collaboration of Joe Hisaishi and Nobuyuki Tsujii March 6 2018 Blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii transforms warhorses into things of beauty The Daily Telegraph November 7 2022 Nobuyuki Tsujii plays an astounding Rachmaninoff Third in one of the great BBC Proms of recent times Seen and Heard International September 11 2023 Deutsche Grammophon Signs Japanese Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii Deutsche Grammophon April 23 2024External links editOfficial website nbsp Artist Profile Nobuyuki Tsujii Avex Classics in Japanese Parenting Square by Nobuyuki s mother Itsuko Tsujii in Japanese Information for International Fans of Nobuyuki Tsujii Meet Nobuyuki Tsujii the blind concert pianist who learns by ear ABC News Australia Retrieved from https en 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