Nobuyuki Tsujii
Encyclopedia
Nobuyuki Tsujii is a Japanese pianist and composer who shared the First Prize at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009 in a tie with co-winner Haochen Zhang
of China.
on a toy piano after his mother had been humming the tune. He began his formal study of piano at the age of four.
In 1995, at the age of 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.
Subsequently, he made his debut overseas with performances in the United States, France, and Russia. In October 2005, he reached the semifinal and received the Critics’ Award in the 15th International Frederik Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw, Poland
.
In April 2007, Tsujii entered Ueno Gakuen University of music. He graduated in March 2011
.
Tsujii competed in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
and tied for the gold medal with Haochen Zhang
. 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 Op. 10 Études
as part of his performance in the preliminaries.
Tsujii was one of the competitors prominently featured in the documentary film about the 2009 Van Cliburn competition, "A Surprise in Texas", which was first broadcast on PBS
TV in 2010.
In addition to being a pianist, Nobuyuki Tsujii is a music composer. At age 12, Nobuyuki Tsujii performed his own composition "Street Corner of Vienna"
.
In 2010-2011, he composed the theme music for a Japanese film
as well for a Japanese TV drama
. In June 2011, Japanese figure skating champion Midori Ito
performed in a world event (Master Elite Oberstdorf 2011) 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
.
On November 10, 2011, Nobuyuki Tsujii made a debut recital in the main hall (Isaac Stern Auditorium) at the Carnegie Hall
in New York, as part of the Keyboard Virtuosos II series.
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."
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."
2009 Van Cliburn Competition Juror Michel Béroff
, an award winning internationally known pianist, told the Japanese monthly piano magazine Chopin, "The special thing about his performance is his sound. It has depth, color and contrast, the genuine music."
In the documentary "A Surprise in Texas", Menahem Pressler
, Cliburn juror and an eminent pianist, says: “I have the utmost admiration for (Nobuyuji 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.”
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.”
As a Van Cliburn winner, Tsujii has been performing in concerts all over the world
.
Haochen Zhang
Haochen Zhang is a Chinese pianist from Shanghai, China.He, along with Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, was the Gold Medalist / First Prize winner of the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009. He has studied under Gary Graffman, also the teacher of Lang Lang and Yuja...
of China.
Background
Nobuyuki Tsujii was born blind but was gifted with a talent for music. At the age of two, he began to play Jingle BellsJingle Bells
"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857...
on a toy piano after his mother had been humming the tune. He began his formal study of piano at the age of four.
In 1995, at the age of 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
Suntory Hall
The Suntory Hall is a concert hall complex consisting of the "Main Hall" and the "Small Hall" located in the Ark Hills complex, near the U.S. Embassy and TV Asahi in the Akasaka district of northern Minato, a ward in Tokyo, Japan...
at age 12.
Subsequently, he made his debut overseas with performances in the United States, France, and Russia. In October 2005, he reached the semifinal and received the Critics’ Award in the 15th International Frederik Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw, Poland
.
In April 2007, Tsujii entered Ueno Gakuen University of music. He graduated in March 2011
.
Tsujii competed in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was first held in 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas and is hosted by Van Cliburn Foundation. It was created by Fort Worth area teachers in honor of Van Cliburn, who had won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition four years prior with Tchaikovsky's...
and tied for the gold medal with Haochen Zhang
Haochen Zhang
Haochen Zhang is a Chinese pianist from Shanghai, China.He, along with Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, was the Gold Medalist / First Prize winner of the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009. He has studied under Gary Graffman, also the teacher of Lang Lang and Yuja...
. He was also awarded the Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the Best Performance of a New Work. He played all twelve of Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
's Op. 10 Études
Études (Chopin)
The Études by Frédéric Chopin are three sets of solo studies for the piano, There are twenty-seven overall, comprising two separate collections of twelve, numbered Opus 10 and 25, and a set of three without opus number.-Composition:...
as part of his performance in the preliminaries.
Tsujii was one of the competitors prominently featured in the documentary film about the 2009 Van Cliburn competition, "A Surprise in Texas", which was first broadcast on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
TV in 2010.
In addition to being a pianist, Nobuyuki Tsujii is a music composer. At age 12, Nobuyuki Tsujii performed his own composition "Street Corner of Vienna"
.
In 2010-2011, he composed the theme music for a Japanese film
as well for a Japanese TV drama
. In June 2011, Japanese figure skating champion Midori Ito
Midori Ito
is a former Japanese figure skater. She is the 1989 World Champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist. She is the first woman to land a triple/triple jump combination and a triple axel in competition. She is also the first woman to land seven triple jumps in a free program, which she did at the...
performed in a world event (Master Elite Oberstdorf 2011) 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
Kanda River
The stretches 24.6 km from Inokashira Park in Mitaka to the Sumida River under the Ryōgoku Bridge at the boundary of Taitō, Chūō, and Sumida. Its entire length lies within Tokyo, Japan. It drains an area of 105.0 km². The government of Japan classifies it as a Class I river.-Tributaries...
in Tokyo
.
On November 10, 2011, Nobuyuki Tsujii made a debut recital in the main hall (Isaac Stern Auditorium) at the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York, as part of the Keyboard Virtuosos II series.
Comments on Tsujii
Van CliburnVan Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War....
is quoted as having told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
, "He was absolutely miraculous. His performance had the power of a healing service. It was truly divine."
2009 Van Cliburn Competition Juror Richard Dyer, a chief music critic for The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, 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."
2009 Van Cliburn Competition Juror Michel Béroff
Michel Béroff
-Biography:Béroff was born at Épinal, and trained at the Nancy Conservatory, winning the 1st prize in 1962 and the prize of excellence in 1963. He completed his studies at the Paris Conservatory with Yvonne Loriod, winning the 1st prize in 1966. In 1967 he made his Paris debut and won 1st prize in...
, an award winning internationally known pianist, told the Japanese monthly piano magazine Chopin, "The special thing about his performance is his sound. It has depth, color and contrast, the genuine music."
In the documentary "A Surprise in Texas", Menahem Pressler
Menahem Pressler
Menahem Pressler is a German-born American pianist, founding member of the Beaux Arts Trio.-Professional career:...
, Cliburn juror and an eminent pianist, says: “I have the utmost admiration for (Nobuyuji 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
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
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.”
John Giordano
John Giordano
John Read Giordano is an American orchestra conductor, professor of music, composer, and former concert saxophonist. He is Associate Professor of Music at Texas Christian University...
, 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.”
Works
Since his triumph at the Cliburn, Tsujii has gained prominence in classical piano music, especially in his native Japan. His Cliburn CDs, as well as other CDs recorded before 2009, are now widely available. His official Van Cliburn disc (HMU 907505) has sold well over 100,000 copies- début Nobuyuki Tsujii, Avex Entertainment label, 2007: contains one disc of recitals of works of Chopin, Liszt, and Ravel; and a second disc with five original compositions of Tsujii.
- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #2, released by Avex Trax Japan in 2008, with conductor Yutaka Sado and the Deutsches Symphonie
- Nobuyuki Tsujii, Gold Medalist, 2009 - Winners CD, released by harmonia mundi in 2009
- Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn Competition Final Round Recital, released by harmonia mundi in 2009; also available as a DVD
- Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn Semifinal Round Recital, released by harmonia mundi in 2009; also available as a DVD
- Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn 2009 Preliminary Round Recital, released by harmonia mundi in 2009; also available as a DVD
- Frederic Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1; Etudes Op. 10, released by harmonia mundi in 2010; containing Tsujii's live performance at the Cliburn Competition of Chopin's Piano Concerto no. 1 op. 11 with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Conductor James ConlonJames ConlonJames Conlon is an American conductor and the current Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera.-Early years:Conlon grew up in a family of five children on Cherry Street in Douglaston, Queens, New York. His mother, Angeline L. Conlon, was a freelance writer. His father was an assistant to the New...
, Berceuse performed in the final recital, and 12 études op. 10 performed in the preliminary round. - Pictures at an Exhibition Nobuyuki Tsujii, released September 15, 2010 by Avex Classics; containing Mussorgsky's Pictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an Exhibition is a suite in ten movements composed for piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874.The suite is Mussorgsky's most famous piano composition, and has become a showpiece for virtuoso pianists...
suite and two Franz LisztFranz LisztFranz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
pieces: Concert Etude No.3 in D Flat Major Un sospiro and Rigoletto Concert Paraphrase. - Chopin: Piano Works, with two discs, 10 tracks each; released by the Chopin Competition in 2005, and re-released in September 2009.
- My Favorite Chopin Nobuyuki Tsujii, recorded in Germany in January 2010 and released by Avex Classics in March 2010. Included in the ten tracks are Andante spinato; Grand Polonaise; Ballade op.23; Mazurkas, op 24; Nocturnes, op. 27; and Fantaisie in F minor, op. 49.
- Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 , with Yutaka Sado and the BBC Philharmonic, recorded in England in December 2010 and released by Avex Classics in February 2011. Included is a recital of Robert Schumann's Papillons.
- Nobuyuki Tsujii - Yutaka Sado - BBC Philharmonic Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, released by Avex Classics in February 2011
- 神様のカルテ~辻井伸行自作集 Nobuyuki Tsujii Works, 2000-2011, a collection of Tsujii's own compositions, released by Avex Classics in July 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), released by Avex Classics in August 2011, containing renditions of the theme music of a TV drama composed by Tsujii, as well as his performances of Chopin's "raindrop" prelude, Chopin's nocturne no. 2 Op.27, and the second movement of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2
As a Van Cliburn winner, Tsujii has been performing in concerts all over the world
.
External links
- Profile at Van Cliburn Competition website
- Nobuyuki Tsujii official website
- "Artist Profile: Nobuyuki Tsujii", Concert Service Co., Ltd. (shorter English version)
- Parenting Square by Nobuyuki's mother, Itsuko Tsujii
- 2009 Cliburn Competition Webcast
- Nobuyuki Tsujii Cliburn Touring Information
- Information on Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii