Blind Japanese pianist to perform in Hanoi and HCMC
Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 12:10 GMT+7
Nobuyuki Tsujii, the visually impaired Japanese piano virtuoso and composer who is considered a Japanese miracle, is set to enthrall and inspire local audiences in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on June 19 and 21.
The two performances, to be held at the Hanoi Opera House at 8pm on June 19 and at the HCMC Music Conservatory on June 21, will feature mind-boggling works by Chopin and Debussy, Nobuyuki’s favorites, who he says he holds dear to his heart.
25-year-old Nobuyuki, whose name means faithful happiness in Japanese, was born blind but is endowed with an extraordinary musical gift. At the age of two, he played “Do Re Mi” on a toy piano before beginning his formal study at the age of four.
Unable to read music sheets, the boy learned music with his ears, in Braille and from recordings. With each piece, his tutor would record the parts for the left and right hand separately, and Nobuyuki would listen and combine them himself on the piano.
In 1998, at the age of ten, he debuted with the Century Orchestra in Osaka. He gave his first piano recital at Tokyo's Suntory Hall at age 12. Later, he made his overseas debut in the United States, France, and Russia. In October 2005, he entered the semifinal and earned the Critics’ Award at the 15th International Frederik Chopin Piano Competition held in Warsaw, Poland.
The young artist competed in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and tied for the gold medal with Haochen Zhang. He also pocketed the Beverley Taylor Smith Award for the best performance of a new work.
He was one of the competitors prominently featured in the documentary on the 2009 Van Cliburn competition, “A Surprise in Texas” in 2010.
His official Van Cliburn disc (HMU 907505) has sold well over 100,000 copies.
Nobuyuki is also a talented composer. At 12, he performed his own composition, “Street Corner of Vienna”, before composing theme music pieces for some local films and dramas, including “The Return of the Hayabusa” in 2011.
The young, inspirational artist is currently featured in a 2013 English textbook used in Japanese high schools.
