Nobuyuki Tsujii

The intense energy of Nobuyuki Tsujii's performances is electrifying. Carried by legendary technique and an almost incomprehensible richness of sound, his interpretations are immediately captivating. His artistry stems from a deep spiritual connection to music and the rare ability to become one with his instrument, and it appears all the more astonishing as he has been blind since birth. The Japanese pianist, known as Nobu, gained widespread international recognition in 2009 when he was awarded a gold medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The competition's founder was impressed, stating that his playing was "simply wonderful" and "simply out of this world," and that Nobu's performance had "therapeutic power." This judgment was soon confirmed by both audiences and critics when the young man made his debuts in the most prestigious international concert halls – including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Royal Albert Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, the Vienna Musikverein, the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, and the main hall of Suntory Hall in Tokyo. In 2014, the documentary *Touching the Sound: The Improbable Journey of Nobuyuki Tsujii* by filmmaker Peter Rosen was released, who had also featured the pianist in his 2010 film *A Surprise in Texas* about the Van Cliburn Competition. Nobu is now one of the leading pianists of our time. In April 2024, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Among other plans, the label intends to re-release the artist's extensive classical discography. Nobu's DG debut is dedicated to Beethoven, featuring the mighty "Hammerklavier" Sonata, Op. 106, and Liszt's piano transcription of the song cycle *An die ferne Geliebte*. The recording will be released worldwide digitally and on CD in Japan on November 29, 2024, with the international CD release on March 21, 2025. In addition to Rosen's *Touching the Sound*, two recitals recorded this year are already available on the STAGE+ platform, one from Suntory Hall and the other from the Verbier Festival. In recent seasons, Nobu has performed as a concerto soloist with, among others, Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Klaus Mäkelä and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Domingo Hindoyan and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Further highlights of his career include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the BBC Philharmonic and Juanjo Mena, and the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg and Kent Nagano. Upcoming plans include an Australian tour where he will perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 and a recital program with works by Beethoven, Liszt, Ravel, and Kapustin (October 18–November 9); appearances in Honolulu, Hawaii (November 14, 16 & 17); and a recital tour of Japan with solo works by Debussy, Prokofiev, and Beethoven (December 1–20). Nobu will begin 2025 with performances of Grieg's Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in Fukuoka, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Osaka, and Nagoya (January 19–26). Born in Tokyo in September 1988, Nobu played melodies on a toy piano at just two years old. After hearing them only a few times, he could play the songs his mother sang to him, and he began spontaneously improvising small compositions in early childhood. "Through the piano, I can express myself, and I communicate much better through the instrument than through language," he remarks. "In that sense, the piano is essential for me." Nobu's phenomenal hearing and memory allowed him to learn increasingly complex pieces by listening to them in short sections and repeating them on the piano. He made such progress that at the age of seven, he won first prize in the Japanese competition for blind students, and three years later, he performed with an orchestra for the first time. At twelve, he gave his first piano recital in the small hall of Suntory Hall in Tokyo, soon after captivating international audiences with recital tours to the USA, Russia, and France. He also began performing his own compositions. Two years after reaching the semifinals of the International Chopin Competition in 2005, Nobu enrolled at Ueno Gakuen University in Tokyo and made his professional debut. His victory at the Van Cliburn Competition brought him pop star status in Japan, and in addition to his immense popularity in his home country, he has a huge, constantly growing international fan base. He is convinced: "I see my mission as bringing joy to the audience." 10/2024