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Professor Kawakami: Nobuyuki Tsujii's 2018 Japan Tour starts tomorrow

February 16, 2018, 9:22 pm
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Following is an English translation of a blog post by Professor Masahiro Kawakami, childhood piano teacher and current advisor of Nobuyuki Tusjii.

The original article, in Japanese, can  be found here
http://www.masahiro-kawakami.com/blog/index.php?e=895

Nobuyuki Tsujii's 2018  Japan Tour starts tomorrow

2018-02-17 Sat

Nobuyuki Tsujii  came back from Liverpool the other day, returning home after a busy schedule of concerts and recording sessions of  Rachmaninoff's "Paganini Rhapsody" and Grieg's "Concerto". And, after only one week, he is already starting a new domestic recital tour tomorrow.

I have met him several times since his return.  He is full of vitality and the story seems to be true that he has never experienced jet lag. This time, in the latter half of the program, he plays Kapustin's "eight concert etudes" for the first time.  I think that it is an unusual program that includes Gershwin's "Three Preludes" and Satie's ["Three Gymnopédies"]. Some of the audience may be astonished by the wide range of his repertoire.

I don't know of too many people who have performed the entire "8 Etudes Op. 40" of Kapustin at one recital. There is a rumor that one or two pianists, maybe one in Italy, who have done so somewhere on  earth. In any case, this will surely be the first time in the world that they are played  in such a big recital tour program. It is a great challenge for any pianist.

If I understand correctly, his schedule this year is truly amazing. It seems that there are about nine round trips to overseas this year. And almost all of them are for concerts in Europe or America. There are not too many pianists that are so busy.

I have said it before, and Mr. Van Cliburn and Maestro [Valery] Gergiev have also said so, but there are many moments when I think again that he is truly a miracle person.  I think the preparations for this program is really something that only he can do. I think his work ethics is phenominal and his ability to accomplish a set goal is absolutely wonderful.  As is his stamina and physical strength -- he is a person of great energy.  That is a part  not known to someone who only listens to him in performances,  but I think his strength behind the scenes would impress many people.

I will be listening  to him in Tokyo's Suntory Hall next week, on the second performance on two consecutive days.  I am  looking forward to it!
[Nobu performs in Suntory Hall on February 28 and March 1.]

RELATED ARTICLES
debut 10 years Japan recital Tour 辻井伸行 日本ツア

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Ticket battle for Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura recital

February 17, 2018, 3:42 pm
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I want to share the following blog post because it illustrates the loyal support that Nobuyuki Tsujii enjoys in his homeland, which some of us who live outside Japan may be unaware of.   I especially like that this blogger expresses concern for Nobu's  well being amid his busy performance schedule, a concern that I share.

In a recent blog post  Nobu's long-time piano teacher Professor Masahiro Kawakami wrote
"his schedule this year is truly amazing. It seems that there are about nine round trips to overseas this year. And almost all of them are for concerts in Europe or America. There are not too many pianists that are so busy."
You can sense the concern of someone who cares about Nobu, reading between the lines.

I have on occasions expressed such concern to Nobu's loyal manager, Mr. Nick Asano, and Mr. Asano replied each time that the schedules are set according to the wish of Nobu.  As Professor Kawakami mentioned in the aforementioned blog post, Nobu is a ball of energy, and he truly enjoys performing for an audience.  Furthermore, some of his peers -- top young popular pianists such as Daniil Trifonov, Lang Lang and Yuja Wang are said to make 100 performances each year; Nobu performs considerably fewer, about 60 each year.



Below is an English translation of the blog post.  The original post, in Japanese, can be found at https://ameblo.jp/hiko-hikonyan/entry-12353537581.html

辻井くん＆三浦くん、チケット争奪 Ticket battle for Mr.  Tsujii & Mr. Miura

Saturday, February 17, 2018

This morning, there was a ticket advance sale for the "Miura Fumiaki × Tsujii Nobuyu Duo Recital" in July .

Perhaps it is due to the small capacity of the venue, Kioi Hall, the competition was the most difficult in recent years. Moreover, it is a collaboration with Mr. Miura [violinist Fumiaki Miura].  As usual, there is a limit of four tickets. Still it was nice because we managed to get front seats on the 2nd floor.

Tsujii and Miura will also collaborate with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in May, and  recently the two made some TV appearances together.  In fact, they are good friends as well as fellow musicians. As I mentioned before, Tsujii plays by sensing the breath of an orchestra, and the breath [synchronization] is perfect.  That is good, but I wonder if he may be getting too busy.

Last year, Tsujii-kun celebrated the tenth anniversary of his CD debut.
I love his piano, so it is nice to  get to hear lots of his  performances.
I already have tickets for four of his concerts this year.
And if I go to a performance of his with Ashkenazy (Iceland Symphony) this November, tickets of which will likely be released in March, it will make  5 shows in total.

Besides that, he will be performing outside Tokyo, and also overseas.
Of course, it is not just Tsujii-kun who frequently perform around the world. I guess when someone gets to a certain level of major performances, they end up [being in demand and] working too much.
I guess it is because Tsujii-kun is a pianist who can  fill a big concert hall.

Anyway, I hope that he will take good care of himself so that I may continue to  listen to his great performances.
------

[This ticket battle is all the more impressive, considering that it took place on a day when the nation of Japan was in the grips of the men's figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics.]

RELATED ARTICLES
2018 Miura Fumiaki × Nobuyuki Tsujii Duo Recital
2018 Japan tour with violinist Fumiaki Miura & the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra 
Nobu & Fumi 2018 New Year TV appearances
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Some Nobuyuki Tsujii quotes

February 25, 2018, 9:06 pm
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Those of us who do not speak Japanese never really hear what Nobu says in his own words. Although there have been many published interviews of Nobuyuki Tsujii in English, his words are usually spoken through an interpreter.
So I thought to put together on this page some of his best known quotes, originally published in Japanese -- with  English translation

Source: http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/solidussolidarity/27870951.html
This blog post mentions Nobu's answers to questions asked of him at a news conference in Japan, soon after he returned from his victory at the 2009 Cliburn Competition

「今まで本当につらいことはなく、楽しく音楽活動をしてきた。尊敬するピアニストはキーシン。弱い音をすごくきれいに出すので、僕もそういう音が出せたら。自分の音楽をもっと作り上げて、器の大きい立派なピアニストになりたい」と抱負を語った。
"So far it has not been that hard really, the music activities have been fun.  I admire pianist [Evgeny] Kissin, because he makes very clean and delicate pianissimo.  I also like that he puts out the sound to make the music his own.  My aspiration is to be a fine pianist with a large range."

「好きな曲は？」との質問には「ドビュッシーやショパン」と答え、さらに「カラオケが好き。氷川きよしさんの『きよしのズンドコ節』や井上陽水さんの『少年時代』をよく歌います」。
"Favorite works?""Chopin and Debussy" and furthermore "I like karaoke.  I like to sing 'Zundoko section of Kiyoshi' of Hikawa Kiyoshi  and 'boyhood' of Inoue Yosui."

「もし目が見えるとしたら？」との質問には「両親の顔を見たい。海とか花火とかも見てみたい。でも、今は心の目で見られるので十分満足しています」と答えた。。
To the question of "If you could see with your eyes for one day, what would you like to see?" he laughed and answered, "I want to see the faces of my parents, and also look at such things as fireworks. However, I am satisfied enough because they can be seen in my mind's eye right now." [The questioner was chastised in Japan for asking a very rude question.]

そして「両親には本当に感謝しています。早く親離れして、いいお嫁さんを見つけて安心させたいですね」と笑った
"I really appreciate my parents. But to relieve them from their burden [of caring for me],  I want to reassure them by finding a good bride" he said with a laugh.

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The quotes below are regularly posted on Twitter by a famous quotes "bot",  as ピアニスト名言集  Pianist quotes ‏
https://twitter.com/nattokusabisu/status/967753180413964288 
音楽には国境が関係ないように、障害も関係ないと思っています。障害があるから特別な音が出せるとか、 そういうふうに思ったことはなくて、一人のピアニストとして聴いていただきたいなって思っています
I believe that there are no borders in music, and also handicaps are irrelevant. Handicaps do not generate special sounds.  I never think like that at all.  I want to be listened to as a pianist [and not a pianist with a handicap].

明るくてやさしくもしっかりしていて、支えてくれるような女性がいいですね
I like a woman who is smart  and gentle, but firm and supportive.

一応、今はダイエット中なんですよ。カッコよく痩せて彼女を作りたいから
First of all, I'm on a diet now. I want to slim down because women like those who are thin and cool.

音楽に専心したというよりは、ピアノが楽しくて仕方なかったようです
Rather than being devoted to music, the piano just seems to be fun and my destiny.

ショパンですとかベートーベンですとか、いま生きているわけではない人たちの作った曲を演奏するときは、イメージを楽譜から読み取るしかないですね。どんな気持ちで書いたのかなと、自分自身でイメージを膨らませて演奏することしかできませんが
When playing a work composed by Chopin or Beethoven, or those who are not alive right now, one can only derive an image from reading the score.When I  play, I project the image with the feelings that I felt the composition was written with.
 
同じ曲でも去年と今年では演奏は変わってきますし、10年後、20年後でも違いますので、常に楽しんで演奏することが大切ではないかと思っています
Even with the same work, the performance will change this year from last year, and it will be different after 10 or 20 years, so I think that it is important to always enjoy and play
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RELATED ARTICLES
Interviews of Nobuyuki Tsujii








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But will they "get" Kapustin?

February 27, 2018, 5:03 pm
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The program of Nobu's ongoing debut 10 years Japan recital Tour is quite daring, as pointed out by Nobu's long-time piano teacher Professor Masahiro Kawakami in a recent blog post.

I admire the marketing genius who came up with the recital program: a "hit parade" of masterpieces by Chopin, Liszt, Ravel and  Debussy in the first half, followed by a second half of more contemporary jazzy works by Gershwin, Satie and Kapustin.

The jury is still out as to the audiences' reaction.  But after the first four performances, it is safe to conclude that, as to be expected, many of Nobu's fans were listening to the works in the 2nd half for the first time.  Some have frankly admitted that they don't really understand the music, and there have been mentions of people dozing off especially during the Satie.  I think for Nobu and Mr. Kawakami, it is the reception for the Kapustin etudes that is of the most interest. This is so because Mr. K is a tireless champion of the works of the Russian composer, which have yet to receive wide acceptance in  the concert halls of classical music. And as we know, Nobu has played the 2nd etude of Kapustin at a young age, as evidenced by two highly popular YouTube videos.

As I write, Nobu is about to make two recitals in Tokyo, where the more contemporary music of the second half can be expected to find the most receptive ears in Japan.  But I was delighted to see this blog post that came up just now, from Fukuoka, where Nobu performed the third recital on Feb 23.  Because I wanted to post this before the Tokyo recitals, the translation is done in haste -- please excuse the mess ...

The reaction of this blogger is exactly what I think Nobu and Mr. Kawakami hope for --  someone who is willing to stretch her mind to embrace unfamiliar works boldly presented by Nobu.  (Although I say so,  I must admit that I myself am not particularly fond of jazzy music :-) though I love the  YouTube video at first sight.)

https://ameblo.jp/endless-sorrow628/entry-12353973413.html
Tue, February 27, 2018
＜辻井伸行　日本ツアー début 10 years＞　福岡シンフォニーホールにて
"Nobuyuki Tsujii Japan Tour début 10 years"at Fukuoka Symphony Hall

[Program list and description of first half omitted for brevity]

後半は、ガーシュインの3つの前奏曲（1923-1926年に作曲）、サティの3つのジムノペディ（1888年作曲）、カプースチンの8つの演奏会用練習曲（1984年作曲）という、サティ以外は（前半の曲よりも）現代に作曲された作品。
特にガーシュインとカプースチンの曲はジャズやブルースなどの要素がふんだんに取り入れられていて、私は辻井さんのあらたな面を発見した気がした。
特にカプースチンの曲が very cool
In the second half, there are three preludes of Gershwin (composed in 1923-1926), three Satie's Gymnopedies (1888 composition), eight pieces of Kapustin etudes (composed in 1984); other than the Satie these are works composed in contemporary times).  In particular, the works of Gershwin and Kapustin have plentiful elements of jazz and blues; I felt that I found a new side of Mr. Tsujii'
Kapustin's work was especially cool.

初めて聴いたけど、超イカす～～（←イカすってもう死語！？)もらったパンフの中の川上昌裕氏（辻井さんの恩師の先生ですよね）の曲解説にも書いてあったが、（このカプースチンの曲は）「ジャズのさまざまなスタイル、スウィングやブギ・ウギ、ロックやラテン音楽の要素など、これまでのクラシック音楽では馴染みのなかった要素が新鮮に取り込まれており聴く人を飽きさせない。」　まさにそう！
身体がムズムズして踊りだしたくなります←およびでない。
Although I listened to it for the first time, the work is also described in a commentary by Mr. Masahiro Kawakami (who is a teacher of Mr. Tsujii's teacher) in the brochure:(The pieces of this Kapustin work has) "elements that are not familiar in classical music so far, such as various styles of jazz, swing, boogie woogie, rock and Latin music, elements that are freshly introduced and of which listeners have not tire of hearing.   "Exactly!
I want to dance with my body tumbling ←  not.

で、聴いた方はわかると思うが、聴いているだけでも演奏するのがいかに難しい曲なのかというのがよくわかる。楽譜見たらきっと音符だらけで真っ黒なんだろうな～。
この曲は8つの曲（第1曲から「プレリュード」、「夢」、「トッカティーナ」、「思い出」、「冗談」、「パストラール」、「間奏曲」、「フィナーレ」）で構成されている。唯一第4曲の「思い出」だけがゆっくりとしたテンポで他はラテンのリズムや8ビート、ブギ・ウギ、スウィング・ジャズなどめまぐるしく、力強く、曲が変わる。
So I think I understand as a listener, but just from listening I can also understand how difficult it is to play it. It would certainly be full of notes and  the score would probably be a black blur to me, if I were to look at it. This work is composed of 8 pieces ("Prelude", "Dream", "Tokachina", "Memories", "Joke", "Pastoral", "Interlude", "Finale"). Only the fourth etude, "memories," is in slow tempo, others are of latin rhythms, 8 beats, boogie woogie, swing, jazz, etc.  --  powerful, the works vary.
 
川上先生の解説によると、「作曲者自身はこの曲集全体を一続きのものとみなしているが、演奏には非常に高度な技巧を集中力を要するため、リサイタルで実際に全曲を演奏したピアニストは未だ極めて少ない。この点でも、今回のこの辻井伸行のリサイタル・プログラムは非常に意欲的なものと言ってよい。」だそう。
余談だが、これも川上先生によると、辻井さんはすでに15歳のときに第2曲の「夢」をテレ朝の「ニュースステーション」の生放送で演奏したのだそうだ。
あらためて辻井さん、すごい！
According to Professor Kawakami's commentary: "The composers himself considers the whole set  to be a series, but since the etudes require very high concentration in performance, they have been performed by only a few pianists in a single recital; and in this respect also, I can say that this recital program of Nobuyuki  Tsujii  is very ambitious."
As an aside, according to Mr. Kawakami, Mr. Tsujii was already playing the second song "Dream" at the age of 15 in a live news broadcast [as can be seen on YouTube]
Mr. Tsujii, again, is amazing!
 
実際の演奏も一曲、一曲が息をのむくらいのすごい迫力で、一曲ごとに客席からは「ほぉ～～～っ」とため息がもれていた。　辻井さん自身も前半のときとは顔つきも変わっていて、前半は一曲一曲を愛撫するように弾いていたのが、後半の特にこの曲では全身全霊で曲に没頭しているように見えた。
辻井さんの新たな面を見た気がしても～本当に面白かった! 鳥肌立ちました
The actual performance of each etude was performed with such a tremendous power that every piece was breathtaking; a sigh came up from the audience seats for each song "Wow ~". Mr. Tsujii himself also had a different look from the first half: in the first half he was playing as if  caressing each piece; in the second half, especially in this work [the Kapustin etudes] he seemed to be absorbed in his whole body and soul.
Even though I felt like I saw Mr. Tsujii's new side, I was stunned. I had goosebumps.

アンコールの1曲目が終わって、カーテンコールに応じたときに辻井さんよりご挨拶。いつものようにマイクなしで大きな声でしゃべってくれた。
辻井さんによると、昔クラシックの道に進むかジャズの道に進むかとても迷ったくらい、ジャズが好きなのだそう　で、いつかはガーシュインやカプースチンを演奏してみたいと思っていたのだそうだ。
At the end of the first encore, Mr. Tsujii gave a talk in response  to the curtain calls. As usual he spoke loudly without a microphone.
According to Mr. Tsujii, he has wanted to play Gershwin and Kapustin someday, as he seems to like jazz very much and at one time he wondered if he should go into classic or jazz.
 
「で、いかがでしたか～～！！」　（この聞き方がおもしろくて笑っちゃった）
→万雷の拍手。
「では、盛大な拍手にお応えして～ 」といって曲紹介をしてくれた。
ほんとはアンコールは2曲で終わりだった予定みたいだけど（3曲目をやろうとしたら、辻井さんをガイドしてステージに連れてきた方がえっ！という感じで慌てて舞台袖に消えていったので）、「では盛大な拍手にお応えして～」と言って3曲目を弾いてくれた。
"So, how was it?" he asked in jest and  people responded with laughter -> thunderous applause.
"Then, responding to the big applause" he said - and played another song.  Everybody thought the encores would end with two songs after Mr. Tsujii was led off stage hurriedly and disappeared.  But he returned and said "thank you for the grand applause"and played a third song.

今日のお客さんたちは拍手に関してはとてもマナーがよかった。
辻井さんが各曲の最後の一音を弾き終わっても、辻井さんが手を膝まで完全に降ろしてひと息ふうっとつくまではずっと静寂。とてもよかった。
（アラーム音は随所で4回くらいは鳴ってたけどね）
母もとても喜んでいた。母の喜ぶ顔を見るのはほんとにうれしい
Today 's customers were very well mannered in their applause.   Even after Mr. Tsujii finished playing the last note of each song, everyone stayed  quiet and and breathed a little only until Mr. Tsujii  had completely lowered his hand to his knees.  It was very good.
(There were shouts for a fourth encore from every corner, but he laughed.)
My mother was also very happy. I was really glad to see my mother's happy face

辻井さんのソロ・リサイタルを聴くと今度はコンチェルトが、コンチェルトを聴くと今度はソロが聴きたくなる。　辻井さんはどんどん進化している気がした。年齢を重ねるとともにどんなピアニストになっていくんだろうな～
I had listened to Mr. Tsujii's concertos, but I wanted to listen to him in a solo recital, and this time I did.  It feels like Mr. Tsujii is evolving more and more.  I wonder what kind of pianist he will become as he grows older ~

帰りにロビーでこんなチラシを配布していた
辻井さんのLINEスタンプだって。かわいい～
・・・　でも　スマホ持ってないんだった
On the way out I picked up this flyer from the lobby
Mr. Tsuhjii's LINE stamps are very cool.
. .. but, I don't own a smart phone.


RELATED ARTICLES  
debut 10 years Japan recital Tour 辻井伸行 日本ツア 




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They do "get" Kapustin

March 1, 2018, 3:27 pm
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Nobuyuki Tsujii is on a debut 10 years Japan recital Tour Feb 18 - Mar 24 this year.  The recital program is a clever concoction of a "hit parade" of masterpieces by Chopin, Liszt, Ravel and  Debussy in the first half, followed by a second half of more contemporary jazzy works by Gershwin, Satie and Kapustin.  The Kapustin etudes, in particular, are not widely heard in concert halls in Japan or elsewhere. 

PHOTO: Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin

There is no doubt that Nobu's decision to play these etudes stems from his association with his long-time piano teacher Professor Masahiro Kawakami, who is himself a concert pianist and a champion/curator of the works of the Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin (1937-).  Mr. Kawakami's influence on Nobu in this aspect is demonstrated in a popular YouTube video of Nobu performing the second of Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes (Reverie or Dream) at the young age of 15.

I am not sure I will get to hear Nobu's performance of the Kapustin etudes in a concert hall any time soon, and I am not even sure I will like all of the 8 pieces -- I am not particularly fond of jazzy music, although I fell in love with the YouTube video at first sight. But I very much applaud Nobu's boldness in choosing to perform these avant-garde works unfamiliar to the majority of his loyal fans, and I was curious to see the reaction of audiences in Japan, especially those in Tokyo, where the jazzy music presumably will fall on the most receptive ears. 

I posted a piece before the first of the two Tokyo performances => But will they "get" Kapustin?
Now, the day after the second performance, the jury is still out. But already there have been some notable comments, which I feel compelled to collect below with my English translation.

Twitter1209main_gauche made a series of enthusiastic tweets immediately after the March 1 performance, with detailed description of the Kapustin performance in particular. => https://twitter.com/1209main_gauche
The writer is obviously intimately familiar with the eight concert etudes.  Below are some of the tweets:
"辻井伸行 ピアノ リサイタル"今日も最高の時間をありがとうございました☺ 特に期待していたメインのKapustin、予想を上回る完成度でした💡 名曲揃いかつオシャレなプログラムてアンコールも心揺さぶる演奏でした
"Nobuyuki Tsujii piano recital" today Thank you for the best of the time ☺ the main work Kapustin in particular was as I had hoped, with the degree of perfection that I expected . Encores of masterpieces. It was a heart-tugging performance and a stylish program .
"辻井伸行 ピアノ リサイタル" main dish "Kapustin:Concert Etudes Op.40" Satieで会場が穏やかな雰囲気になったところをエネルギッシュな第1曲Preludeが演奏されたもんだから会場の動揺がすごい…完全に心を掴みました
"Nobuyuki Tsujii piano recital" main dish "Kapustin: Concert Etudes Op. 40" The Satie left the venue in a calm atmosphere, and when the energetic first piece Prelude was played the change in the venue was amazing... it completely grabbed my heart.
"辻井伸行 ピアノ リサイタル"後半入ってガラッと雰囲気が変わりました Gershwinはブロードウェイを彷彿させるような音の響きとリズム Satieは哀愁ある左手の伴奏にしっとりと甘美なメロディを右手奏でて、会場の人たちの心を落ち着かせてました
Nobuyuki Tsujii Piano Recital. The atmosphere has changed in the second half. Gershwin was like Broadway in sounds and rhythms ☺ Satie a melancholy left hand accompanies a lust and sweet melody on the right hand, It calmed the hearts of the audience (^ ^)
"辻井伸行 ピアノ リサイタル"続く第2曲Reverieや第４曲Reminiscenceては持ち前の色彩感や歌わせ方で幻想的な世界に包み込み、リズミカルで力強い第3曲Toccatina、第５曲Railleryで会場を熱くし、辻井さん自身もヒートアップしてました
"Nobuyuki Tsujii Piano Recital" The second [Kapustin] etude Reverie and the fourth song Reminiscence wrapped us around in a fantasy world with a sense of colors and singing. The rhythmical and powerful third etude Toccatina, the fifth etude Raillery ignited the venue. Mr. Tsujii himself also heated up.
第６曲～第８曲に向けてよりいっそう辻井さんの情熱が燃えに燃えてきました. 第６曲Pastoralは聴いた感じシンプルたけどフレーズを歌わせながら演奏するのは中々難しいみたい…楽譜も複雑. でもそんなこと感じさせないで演奏してました
Tsujii's passion was ignited more and more toward the 6th and the 8th etude.The sixth Pastoral is a simple feeling when listened but it seems difficult to play to make the phrases sing ... the music score is also complicated. But  he was playing without feeling such a thing
"辻井伸行 ピアノ リサイタル"第７曲Intermezzo…今自分が練習してる曲なので特に思い入れが強い曲です.  なので今回一番心が揺さぶられた曲でした. 曲の出だしから音の響きが美しく涙が出そうでした( ；∀；) あんな綺麗な音で演奏されたらたまらないですよ
"Nobuyuki Tsujii  Piano Recital" 7th etude Intermezzo ... This is a piece that I am practicing now so it is of particular inspiration, and it was the piece that shook my heart the most this time.  The tone of the reverberation is beautiful from the beginning that I could not help my tears.  I could not wait to  play with such a beautiful sound
"辻井伸行 ピアノ リサイタル"第７曲Intermezzoの続き… 3度の和音のとこではとてもなめならかな指使いでかつテンポが揺るがず、むしろ疾走感があり驚愕しました… ちょうど席が2階の辻井さんの真後ろの位置なので血眼になって指の動きをみてましたが…ただ唖然
"Tsujii Nobuyuki Piano Recital" the 7th etude Intermezzo continued ...
In the place of the third chord it is very tricky fingering and the tempo doe not waver. It was rather surprising to have a feeling of running. As my second floor seat was just behind Mr. Tsujii, my eyes were bloodshot from staring at the movements of his fingers ... just dumbfounded
"辻井伸行 ピアノ リサイタル"第７曲のcodaも素敵な響きを奏でながら疾走感を失わずに最後の和音まで弾ききり、第８曲Finaleへ… ここでもエネルギッシュな演奏は健在で、尚かつ辻井さんも会場の人たち皆高揚感が高まってるので、演奏後拍手喝采で会場が包まれました
"Nobuyuki Tsujii Piano Recital" The coda of the 7th etude was played with a nice sound up to the last chord without losing the feeling of galloping. The Finale of the 8th etude ... the energetic performance is still alive with me.  Mr. Tsujii and everyone in the hall were all elevated. The venue was erupted with applause after his playing

And two detailed blog posts have come up overnight.
https://ameblo.jp/hiko-hikonyan/entry-12356505163.html blog post, excerpt
... が！最後のカプースチン！
びっくりだったわーー
私はほとんど前知識がなく、予習もして行かなかったので今日、初めて聴いたんだけど、
色んなジャズのリズムが全8曲。楽しかった！圧倒された！
第2曲の「夢」は、辻井ｸﾝ15歳の時、ニュースステーションで演奏したそうです。
すでにその頃から弾いてたんですね。
全体的に楽譜はどうなっているんだろう？と思うほどの多量の音符の量で、
即興のイメージがあるジャズだけど、これは即興ではない訳で、
とにかく圧倒されました。
特に第8曲「フィナーレ」は圧巻。
優しくキラキラとしたいつもの辻井くんの音ではなく、ちょっと雑音と言うか、ダーティと言うか、
ぜんぜん悪い意味ではなく庶民？そんな弾き方＆音色でした。
辻井くんの新たな一面を見た気がします。
素晴らしかった！
... But! The Kapustin in the end!I was surprised.
I had hardly any previous knowledge and I did not prepare for it, so I heard it for the first time today, eight songs of various jazz rhythms. It was fun! I was overwhelmed!
"The dream" of the second song he seems to have played at a news station when Tsujii Kun was 15 years old.  He was already playing them from that time.
What is the score like on the whole? With  a tremendous number of notes, I thought,
Jazz with imaginative image, but this is not improvisation,
Anyway I was overwhelmed.
Especially the eighth song "Finale" is a masterpiece.
It is not the usual sound of Tsujii-kun that is gentle and sparkling, but a bit noisy, or is it called dirty?
[Music for] common people but not in a bad way?  It was such a way of playing & sound.
I feel I saw a new aspect of Mr.Tsujii!
...

http://zaramechan.hatenablog.com/entry/2018/03/01/221045 [blog post, excerpt]
後半はガーシュインの３つの前奏曲から。ガーシュウィンの曲はちょっと変わった、小気味よいような調子の曲が目立ちます。この曲もよく弾かれるものですが、いわゆるクラシックらしい曲というよりカジュアルな雰囲気があって、辻井さんの軽やかな演奏ともよくマッチしています。
続いてサティのジムノペディ。こちらを辻井さんが弾いているのを初めて見ました。有名な曲ですが、かなりシンプルでピアノリサイタルで弾く人はあまりいないのではないかと思います。音数が少なく、テンポもゆったりとしている曲で、その分１音１音がはっきり聴こえるのため、下手に弾くと物足りなく感じてしまう曲です。前半の月の光や亡き王女のためのパヴァーヌを聴いたときも感じましたが、シンプルだからこそ主旋律の明晰さ、１音ずつの強弱や鋭さ、柔らかさが如実に現れていて胸を打たれるような印象的な演奏でした。辻井さんのピアノは超絶技巧や激しく熱の籠った演奏もいいですが、やはり静かな曲、シンプルな曲の音の美しさがとても素敵だと感じます。まるでピアノではないような、特別な楽器のような美しい音色は彼にしか出せないものかもしれません。
後半最後はカプースチンの８つの演奏会用練習曲作品４０。カプースチンはウクライナ作曲家、ピアニスト、ミュージシャンで、1961年にモスクワ音楽院を卒業した後、2008年にもCDをリリースしている人物です。ジャズとクラシックの融合した音楽を多々生み出している独特な作曲家、演奏家であることが特徴です。現代音楽の枠に入るため、コンサートなどではあまり聴かないけれど、ジャズピアノなどに興味がある人には有名かもしれません。辻井さんもデビュー10周年記念のツアーを行うにあたり、新しく挑戦しようと選んだそうです。あまり想定していなかったジャズ寄りの曲でしたが、軽妙でウィットに富んだ演奏に、音の正確さ、旋律の滑らかさが相まって、まさにジャズとクラシックの調和を感じました。わたしは以前別の記事でも紹介したのですが、ブギウギピアノの演奏家レ・フレールのファンで、彼らの演奏を聴いたときに今まで聴いたことのない新しい音楽だと感動したのを覚えています。今回の辻井さんのカプースチンは、そのような新しい風を感じさせるピアノで、今後も彼の演奏はどんどん進化してゆくのだろうという予感を覚えました。
The second half started with Gershwin 's three preludes.  Gershwin's works don't vary very much. Each piece has a tasteful appearance that stands out.  Although this work is  often played, there is a casual atmosphere rather than a so-called classic-like song, and it matches well with Mr. Tsujii's light touch.
Then Satie's gymnopedie. I saw Mr. Tsujii playing this for the first time. Although it is a famous song, I think that there are not many people who play it  at a piano recital. It is a song that has a small number of sounds and a tempo that is relaxed, so that one sound one sound can be heard clearly, so if you play it badly it would feel wanting. I felt [the clarity of his playing] when I listened to the Clair de Lune and the  Pavane for the Late Princess in the first half, but because the Satie is simple, the clarity of the main melody, the strength and sharpness of each note, and the gentleness appeared clearly  -- and the chest was struck.   It was such an impressive performance. Mr. Tsujii's piano is good with transcendental skill and intense heat, but still I feel the beauty of the sound of a quiet and simple song.  It was excellent. A beautiful sound like a special instrument that is not a piano --  may be one that only he can bring out.

The last part  is Kapustin 's eight concert etudes Op. 40. Kapustin is a Ukrainian composer, pianist, musician, a person who has released CDs in 2008 after graduating from the Moscow Conservatory in 1961.  He is characterized as a unique composer and a musician who produces a fusion of jazz and classical music. I do not listen to concerts so much as to enter the framework of contemporary music, but he may be famous to those who are interested in jazz pianos and others. Mr. Tsujii also seems to have chosen a new challenge when doing the 10th anniversary tour. It was a jazzy song that I had not thought much of, but combined with a light and witty performance, combined with the precision of the sound and the smoothness of melody, I just felt harmony between jazz and classic. I mentioned it in another  article previously, but I remember being impressed by new music that I had never heard when listening to their performances of the Brothers Les Freres,  performers of Boogie Woogie piano. This time, Mr. Tsujii's Kapustin on piano made me feel such a new wind, and I got a feeling that he will continue to evolve more and more in the future.
...
日々進化してゆく辻井さんの色々な音を聴くことができて、とても豊潤で価値のある時間を過ごせました。生の音だからこそ、ホールだからこそ味わえる、全身で音楽を楽しむ感覚というのは得難いものです。ジャズとクラシックの融合であったり、自作曲への期待だったり、変わらず美しい音色だったり、ますます辻井さんの音楽を好きになった１日でした。
唯一の悩みは、皆が辻井さんの魅力に気づくと、ほんとにチケットが取れなくなって困るということですね。
I was able to listen to Mr. Tsujii's various sounds evolving day by day;  I was able to spend a lot of time rich and valuable. Because it is a live sound, it can be tasted only in a concert hall; feeling of enjoying music all over the body is difficult to obtain. It was a fusion of jazz and classical music, expectations for his own compositions, a beautiful tone as ever, and I like Tsujii's music more and more.
The only trouble is that when everyone notices Mr. Tsujii's appeal, it is indeed troubling to try to get tickets for his concerts.

Of course, these are just individual opinions that may or may not be representative of the concert-goers at those two recitals, but they are reassuring.

I am almost certain that there will be more comments to be found, and I will include the notable ones as they come up.  Perhaps Mr. Kawakami  himself may make a post , and that would be something to watch out for.  And there may also be brief reviews from professional critics to appear in Japan's numerous classical-music rags.  Please stay tuned.
-------
Kapustin's 8 concert etudes, as played by the composer himself, can be heard on YouTube =>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=116QHk9jNGI

RELATED ARTICLES
debut 10 years Japan recital Tour 辻井伸行 日本ツア
But will they "get" Kapustin?
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Nobu & Fumi at ARK Hills Music Week 2018

March 1, 2018, 9:36 pm
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Last December, news came that Nobuyuki Tsujii & his friend violinist Fumiaki Miura appear on cover of Suntory Hall's 2018-9 Season Brochure.
https://twitter.com/SuntoryHall_PR/status/947508563588497409 [Suntory Hall サントリーホール公式アカウント‏ @SuntoryHall_PR tweet]:
2018-19シーズン 主催公演ラインナップ発表❗️❗️／サントリーホール主催公演、今年4月から来年3月までのスケジュール決定🌟チラシが完成しました
2018-19 season hosted performance lineup announcement ❗️❗️ / Suntory Hall sponsored performances, schedule  from April this year to March next year 🌟 leaflet has been completed


And this image of the brochure shows Nobu and Fumi are to perform at an autumn music festival called ARK Hills Music Week 2018.
Today, March 2 2018, Nobu fan "sonsoon" noticed that the performances are now listed on the schedule of Suntory Hall:

ARK Hills Music Week 2018
ARK Classics  Series performances
https://www.suntory.co.jp/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20181006_M_3.html
It turns out that this festival is sponsored by Suntory Hall and Avex Classics International. The festival is from October 6 through 8, with 7 events that features the Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra with Viola & Conductor Yuri Bashmette, as well as Japan performers (Nobu and Fumi included).

Of the seven events, these are the ones that involve Nobu:
Lunchtime Recital
October 6, 2018 (Saturday) 12: 00 Suntory Great Hall
https://www.suntory.co.jp/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20181006_M_2.html

Gala concert
October 6, 2018 (Sat) 19: 00
Violin: Fumiaki Miura
Piano: Nobuyuki Tsujii
Viola & Conductor: Yuri  Bashmet
Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra
https://www.suntory.co.jp/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20181006_M_5.html

Holiday Afternoon Concert
October 8, 2018 (Mon, holiday) 15: 00
Blue Rose (Suntory Small Hall)
Piano: Nobuyuki Tsujii
String Ensemble: Miura Akira & Friends
https://www.suntory.co.jp/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20181008_S_3.html

Tickets are scheduled to come on sale in June, information to come.



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Professor Kawakai's March 2 2018 blog post

March 2, 2018, 10:50 am
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In a recent blog post, Nobu's long-time piano teacher Professor Masahiro Kawakami wrote with uncharacteristic excitement:Professor Kawakami: Nobuyuki Tsujii's 2018 Japan Tour starts tomorrow
and mentions that he would be attending the second recital in Tokyo, on March 1.

His blog was updated yesterday March 2 => http://www.masahiro-kawakami.com/blog/index.php?e=896

His reaction to the performance is typically understated [as befitting a Japanese :-)]   I guess it wouldn't do for  Mr. Kawakami to lavish effusive praise especially to Nobu's performance of the Kapustin etudes written by a composer whose works he [Mr. Kawakami] himself champions.  But the joy that he experienced is unmistakable.
 
Below is a rough English translation of the post.

辻井伸行サントリーホール2日目終了！

Nobuyuki Tsujii Suntory Hall Day 2 concluded!


Yesterday, the "Nobuyuki Tsujii Recital" at Suntory Hall or two consecutive days was  successfully concluded. The back stage of Suntory Hall has by now become a familiar place completely. The eight "Concert Etudes" (complete set) of Kapustin, which he performed for the first time in this program, seemed to have received the most attention. This work is really a difficult just playing it .... (Although it is just my opinion.)


PHOTO: Mrs. Kamakami, Nobu, and Mr. Kawakami backstage Suntory Hall

It was also a beautiful time to be able to listen to the encores of  Chopin [farewell], and in the second song he played his original composition  "homage to Jenny" that he first performed at the Carnegie Hall. It was a good selection of songs. [Mr. K had praised this composition at that time.]

Last night's dinner was a surprise with a big fuss, but it was a really fun time and 5 hours passed quickly.  The shop owner [brought out a  gift of a teddy bear and a cake] to bless Nobu-kun! (Nobody expected it, the teddy bear is about 2 meters [6 ft] and the cake was huge!)  

PHOTO: Nobu with a humongous stuffed bear

PHOTO: The cake was huge -- it is covered adorned with strawberries and blue berries on top, with a sign that say "Congratulations Mr. Tsujii CD Debut 10 Years", complete with lighted candles.

 It looks as if we were there to celebrate [Nobu's Debut 10 years], but this is all a surprise from the store. It was amazing.

PHOTO: Nobu with Mr. and Mrs. Kawakami on his sides -- there is a crown on top of Nobu's hair, and he and Mrs. K are each holding a bouquet of flowers.  The cake is in front of them.

And,  a close friend of  Itsuko-san (Mother of Mr. Nobuyuki) happened to in the store, there was more fuss. (Lol) I had not been in such a party for a long time. That was  a meaningful gathering and it was a wonderful day.

For the time being, the first half of Nobu-kun's recital tour has settled.  He will get a day's rest and the latter half will start from the day after tomorrow and continue until the end of the month at Okinawa.

RELATED ARTICLES
Professor Kawakami: Nobuyuki Tsujii's 2018 Japan Tour starts tomorrow
debut 10 years Japan recital Tour 辻井伸行 日本ツア 

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Nobuyuki Tsujii 2018 "Debut 10 Years" Japan Tour - 2

March 3, 2018, 8:48 pm
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Nobuyuki Tsujii 2018 "Debut 10 Years" Japan Tour - Part 2
Continued from debut 10 years Japan recital Tour (part 1)
辻井伸行 日本ツアー debut 10 years Nobuyuki Tsujii debut 10 years Japan Tour
February 18 2018 through March 24, 14 recitals.
Tour Home Page => http://avex.jp/classics/tsujii-nobuyuki2018/
This page collects news, comments, photos and videos about the second half of the tour, of the last 8 of 14 performances.
The first half of the tour is documented at => debut 10 years Japan recital Tour

Recital #7 March 4 (日Sunday) 14:00 岐阜 サマランカホール Gifu Samarranka Hall (708 seats)


Recital Program

Chopin: Hero Polonaise
Debussy: Moonlight (Clair de lune)
Ravel: Pavane for the Dead Princess, Water Play
Liszt: La Campanella
Gershwin: Three Prelude
Satie: Three Gymnopédies
Kapustin: Eight Concert Etudes

The 14 performances are as follows:

  1. 2/18 (日Sunday) 14:00 香川 レクザムホール　大ホール（香川県県民ホール） Kagawa Prefectural Hall
  2. 2/21(水 Wednesday )19:00 東京エレクトロンホール宮城(宮城県) Tokyo Electron Hall Miyagi (Miyagi Prefecture)
  3. 2/23 (金Friday ) 19: 00 福岡シンフォニーホール（アクロス福岡） Fukuoka Symphony Hall (Acros Fukuoka)  https://www.acros.or.jp/events/9162.html
  4. 2/25 (日Sun) 14:00  シンフォニア岩国 コンサートホール(山口) Yamaguchi Symphonia Iwakuni concert hall
  5. 2/28(水 Wednesday)19:00 サントリーホール　大ホール (東京都) Suntory Hall Great Hall (Tokyo)
  6. 3/1(木 Thursday)14:00  サントリーホール　大ホール (東京都) Suntory Hall Great Hall (Tokyo)
  7. 3/4 (日Sunday) 14:00 岐阜 サマランカホール Gifu Samarranka Hall 
  8. 3/8(木Thursday)19:00 広島 Hiroshima ふくやま芸術文化ホール リーデンローズ 大ホールFukuyama Arts and Culture Hall
  9.  3/10 ( 土 Sat )14:00 大阪 ザ・シンフォニーホール Osaka The Symphony Hall
  10. 3/14  (水 Wed）19:00 鹿児島市民文化ホール第1Kagoshima Citizens' Cultural Hall No. 1
  11. 3/18 (日Sunday) 13:30 北海道 札幌コンサートホールKitara大ホール Hokkaido Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara Large Hall
  12. 3/22 (木Thursday) 18: 30 りゅーとぴあ 新潟市民芸術文化会館 コンサートホール Niigata Ryuto Pia Niigata Citizen's Arts and Culture Center Concert Hall
  13. 3/24(土Saturday)14:00 栃木県総合文化センター　メインホール (栃木県)Tochigi Prefectural Cultural Center Main Hall   
  14. 3/28(水Wednesday) 19:00 沖縄コンベンションセンターOkinawa Convention Center 
RELATED PAGES
debut 10 years Japan recital Tour (part 1)
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Nobuyuki Tsujii March 5 Tokai TV appearance

March 5, 2018, 1:55 pm
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On March 5, Nobu appeared on a TV show called "Switch" that was aired in some cities in Japan. Posted on Nobu's own site => http://www.nobupiano1988.com/news/
3月5日月曜日、愛知、岐阜、三重で朝9時50分から東海テレビで放映中の情報番組「スイッチ！」に生出演予定です。 ご覧下さい！
March 5 Monday, Aichi, Gifu, Mie,9:50AM on Tokai Television, a live appearance on the information program "Switch!" .
tokai-tv.com/switch/


There is now a high quality video of  that appearance that has been uploaded by someone.
On the show, Nobu performed "Clair de Lune" live, and, according to Yura-san (who mentioned the video on Twitter), commented "I respect Ms. Mao Asada [figure skater]. Her strength in performance is similar to mine." He also promoted his upcoming May 17 performance in Aichi with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
The direct link to the video is at
https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x6foe4f OR https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6foe4f
Also viewable below.
xxx
On the show, Nobu is wearing a blue/grey-colored suit with a wide blue  patterned tie, complete with a pocket handkerchief,  He  notably calm in this footage, in fact, he appears more collected than the 5 presenters surrounding him. Nobu has really matured ^_^
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Joe Hisaishi and Nobuyuki Tsujii first collaboration

March 5, 2018, 3:25 pm
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The following article appeared on the Internet on March 6, 2018
The original article, in Japanese, can be found at
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2106961/full/
http://www.asahi.com/and_w/interest/entertainment/CORI2106961.html
and many other places.

Below is an English translation of the article.

久石譲×辻井伸行 映画『羊と鋼の森』エンディング・テーマで初タッグ 

Joe Hisaishi and Nobuyuki Tsujii first collaboration,  on the ending theme of the film "The Forest of Sheep and Steel"

Composer Joe Hisaishi and pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii made their first collaboration on the ending theme "The Dream of the Lambs" for the film "The Forest of Sheep and Steel" (release date June 8, starring Kanji Yamazaki), it was revealed on March 5th. Mr. Hisaishi made the composition and arrangement; Mr. Tsujii the piano performance.

　The film is by film director Mitsuo Hashimoto, and is based on a novel "Orange - orenji" by 宮下奈都 Natsu Miyashita, which  ranked No. 1 at the 2016 bookstore grand prize. A young man, fascinated by piano tuning, matures through his encounters with many people connected to the piano.

　Mr. Hisaishi, responsible for the composing and arranging, is widely known for being in charge of the music of the works of Studio Ghibli and Takeshi Kitano, and has worked continuously both in Japan and overseas, with composers, pianists, and conductors, in various aspects . Mr. Tsujii was the first ever Japanese winner at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition held in the United States, and has won numerous awards afterwards, is among the world's top pianists. He also works as a composer, and was in charge of the music for the movie "God's Chart" and the Tokyo TV series "Giants of Beauty", among others.

　The film's production team, who wanted a theme song  that can make the most of the original view of the world and the charm of "piano", recruited the two people who are world famous musicians with excellent expressive power. After reading the original work, both artists were strongly drawn to that view of the world and accepted the offer, realizing a luxurious collaboration.

　Last summer an orchestras was gathered at a concert hall, conducted by Mr. Hisaishi himself, for the recording of the piece. The two, who first met on that day, expressed mutual pleasure of being "honored to meet you" with each other. After the meeting in advance, the actual recording proceeded. The two performed with one breath and were seen with smiles afterward that seemed to say "I really enjoyed it."

■ Mr. Joe Hisaishi Comments

A pianist has to deal with various pianos. The touch of each piano is very different. The tuner, who brings out the desired sound, is a really important existence.  I think that he is a fine musician even though he does not himself makes the sound. I read the original book depicting such a tuner before I received the offer. A beautiful and very good story of a growing experience. That is why, in order for the ending theme not to be just beautiful, I was conscious to make a song that intersects a very minimal part and a melodic part, so that I can  bring out  the depth of the movie.

I am delighted to be able to make that piece together with Mr. Tsujii. While adhering to a classic style, I make contemporary songs that play well. Mr. Tsujii is a really wonderful pianist, especially the sense of rhythm is amazing. A neat rhythm without useless things. I wanted to make use of that and conducted. He played and I enjoyed it very much. I would like to work with Mr. Tsujii again.

■ Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii comments

I read the original book as a Braille book before I was given an offer, but I think everyone who has to do with piano would be interested.  There are lots of images in the song; there are magnificent and cool parts in the piano; and it is a wonderful story that shows various interesting things. It was truly an honor to have worked on  such a movie theme music with Mr. Hisaishi.  I have been a great fan of Mr. Hisaishi.  I  listen to his wonderful music all the time, so I am really happy.

After Mr. Hisaishi made the  score, I imagined what kind of feelings he was composing it with.  I inflated the image of the movie in myself, and practiced trying to do as much as possible to bring out the challenges. I was nervous until we met, but he was really kind and easy to work with.  I learned a lot. This song was inspiring, beautiful, and really fun to play; the recording was finished in a flash. I'd love to join him again.

The piano tuner is indispensable to me. Although a pianist is alone when playing, I think that he is building a concert with the tuner and audience. I meet tuners at various places in Japan and abroad, and it is fun to meet different kinds of tuners and pianos at different venues.
------------ end of article ----------

MOVIE TRAILER  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVmuY0DZSlk -- I am not sure if the piano music on the sound track is the theme music played by Nobu.

PHOTOS


PHOTO: Nobu (left) with composer/conductor  Joe Hisaish

PHOTO: The composer working with Nobu during recording session


PHOTO: The composer, conducting, turns to look at Nobu at the piano.
----

FOOTNOTES
久石 譲  Joe Hisaish (real name 藤澤 守Mamoru Fujisawa), born 1950, is a Japanese composer and musical director known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981.  While possessing a stylistically distinct sound, Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic, European classical, and Japanese classical.  Wikipedia

橋本 みつお Mitsuo Hashimoto is a Japanese storyboard artist and director of television, OVA, and anime films. He previously worked under 橋本 光夫, but changed as someone else was using that name. Wikipedia

宮下奈都 Natsu Miyashita(1967 -) is a Japanese novelist.

山崎賢人 Kento Yamazaki is a Japanese actor. He is known for playing L in television series Death Note, as well as star as in films L DK and Heroine Shikkaku. Wikipedia
Studio Ghibli, Inc. is a Japanese animation film studio based in Koganei, Tokyo, Japan. The studio is best known for its anime feature films, and has also produced several short films, television commercials, and one television film. Wikipedia
Takeshi Kitano is a Japanese comedian, television personality, director, actor, author, and screenwriter. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, abroad he is known almost entirely for his filmwork. Wikipedia








↧

Nobuyuki Tsujii performs in Sept 2 Japan-Sweden celebration concert

March 8, 2018, 10:19 am
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[It just occurred to me: I wonder if the Emperor of Japan and/or Sweden might attend this concert! It's just a thought, I am not trying to stir up rumors.]

2018 marks the 150th year of Japan's diplomatic relationship with Sweden. There have been ongoing events in celebration year-round, in both countries => https://swedenjapan150.jp/

Image source: TicketSpace


For some time now, I have known that Nobuyuki Tsujii will perform with the ROYAL STOCKHOLM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA and their chief conductor Sakari Oramo in September, as one of the celebratory events.
Nobu fan Yuki tweeted on March 3:
https://twitter.com/yuki171208021/status/969998017959882752
今日届いていたDMの案内で知りました。 9/2-4にある サカリ・オラモ指揮 ロイヤル・ストックホルム・フィルハーモニー管弦楽団 特別演奏会 9/2の公演に辻井さんがベートーヴェンのピアノ協奏曲5番《皇帝》で出演するそうです。
I got it from the information of DM that I received today.Mr. Tsujii will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" in a  Special Concert  on September 2 with Sakari Oramo directing the Royal Stockholm  Philharmonic Orchestra.
The event has also  been listed on the calendar of Suntory Hall, without mentioning Nobu or the maestro
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/schedule/detail/20180902_M_2.html

Today, March 8, the concert is officially announced on Nobu's official website, TicketSpace, ePlus and elsewhere. Tickets come on sale on March 31st.
スウェーデン日本国交150周年記念コンサート
Sweden Japan diplomatic 150th anniversary concert　
特別演奏会　《辻井伸行との競演》 9/2(日)  14：00
Special performance "Competition with Nobuyuki Tsujii" September 2 (Sunday) 14:00
ムンクテル：砕ける波　Munktell: Broken waves
ベートーヴェン：ピアノ協奏曲第5番《皇帝》 Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 «Emperor»
チャイコフスキー：交響曲第5番 Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
サカリ・オラモ指揮  Conductor Sakari Oramo
ロイヤル・ストックホルム・フィルハーモニー管弦楽団　Royal Stockholm Philharmonic
ピアノ：辻井伸行 Piano: Nobuyuki Tsujii
サントリーホール Suntory Hall

Maestro Sakari OramoOBE (born October 26, 1965) is a Finnishconductor. Since 2013 he has been the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a top conductor in the world and his performances have consistently received positive reviews. In a recent interview, he is described as having "a very avuncular style of conducting. There’s lots of smiling going on."  This week, he has been performing in Japan conducting for Toshiba Grand Concert 2018 series with the  BBC Symphony Orchestra and soloists Alina Pogostokina(Violin) & Yu Kosuge(Piano)  
The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1902. " In 1992 it acquired its present name, with patronage from the Swedish royal family.  The orchestra participates annually in the Nobel Prize ceremonies and the Polar Prize for music celebrations."

It is a  big honor for Nobu to perform in this high-profile diplomatic concert in his native Japan, with a top conductor and orchestra.  In the past,  Nobu has appeared many times in concerts overseas as a cultural ambassador for Japan, but this is the first time in his own country.  Congratulations to Tsujii-san!  ( He is the only Japanese soloist featured in these special performances Sep2 -5. The other  two concerts are a Symphonic program and a performance of Beethoven 9th with Swedish solo singers and a  Japanese choir.)

Tickets come on sale March 31. A single ticket for the best seats is priced at 18,000Y (~180USD), or a set of tickets for all three shows (one only with Nobu) at 36,000Y => TicketSpace




CONCERT DETAILS
2018年          
9/2（日）東京
日本－スウェーデン外交関係樹立150周年記念
ロイヤル・ストックホルム・フィルハーモニー管弦楽団 特別演奏会
サカリ・オラモ　指揮
ロイヤル・ストックホルム・フィルハーモニー管弦楽団
辻󠄀井伸行（ピアノ）
会場：サントリーホール
開場：13:15　
開演：14:00開演
一般発売日：3月31日（土）
問合せ先：チケットスペース　03-3234-9999
2018        
9/2 (Sun)
Tokyo
Japan - Sweden Diplomatic Relations Establishment 150th Anniversary
Royal, Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra Special Concert
Sakari · Oramo conducting
Royal · Stockholm  Philharmonic Orchestra 
Tsuji Tsuyoshi (piano)
Venue: Suntory Hall
Doors Opening: 13: 15　
Curtain time: : 14: 00 Opening
general release date: March 31st (Sat)
Inquiries: TicketSpace 03 -3234-9999

RELATED LINKS
Japan -Sweden Diplomatic Relationship 150th Anniversary
https://www.facebook.com/EmbassyofSwedenTokyo/
http://www.konserthuset.se/en/programme/calendar/concert/2018/japan-and-sweden-celebrates-150-years/  
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"Nobu Fever" in Japan -- 2018

March 11, 2018, 3:47 pm
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It's been almost a decade since a Time Magazine article coined the term "Nobu Fever" to describe the fervor that stirred Japan after the triumph of Nobuyuki Tsujii at the 2009 Cliburn Piano Competition. In the article, journalist Uki Oda wrote, "Japan, it seems, has got itself a case of Nobu Fever, the latest object of affection in a culture that regularly gets obsessed en masse with everything from fad diets to Haruki Murakami's latest book." She described sold-out concerts and escalated CD sales in the wake of the Cliburn victory.

Fast forward to year 2018.  "Nobu Fever", it seems,  is alive and well in Japan.  I am compelled to write this piece because last week I came across a discussion thread on Twitter where someone wrote, in conjunction with the just announced Japan-Sweden 150th Diplomatic Relationship Anniversary concerts (Sept 2-5):
辻井伸行バブルは続いてるみたいですもんね。[The Nobuyuki Tsujii bubble is continuing.]
A bubble is, of course, something that easily bursts, as in "The heated housing market is a bubble," a  phenomenon that won't last. In Japan, Nobu skeptics have been deriding his popularity for a long time.  But, sorry to disappoint them,  I am here to say, happily, that the phenomenon of Nobu has not faded away and it does not look like it will any time soon.

I submit as evidence the following cases in point.

* All 13 performances of Nobu's onoging "Debut 10 Years" Japan Tour, including a stop at remote Okinawa, have sold out. These recitals have unfamiliar music in the second half, and,with a few exceptions, are held at venues of 1000-2000 seats. Yura, who was at the Osaka performance last week, wrote that "The stage of Symphony Hall was lined with auxiliary chairs, and the hallway on the first floor behind the last row were all standing rooms." The recital was held at Osaka's Symphony Hall, which seats 1,704!

* Next Wednesday, March 14, Nobu performs Grieg's concerto with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and conductor Tatsuya Shimono, Nobu's long-time advisor.  This sold-out performance is sandwiched between performances of the "Debut 10 Years" Japan Tour.  The venue has already posted an advance alert that the parking lots will be full on the day and advise concert-goers to allow for extra time.

* Tickets came on sale on March 6 for the two performances (Mozart concertos)  of Nobu with conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy at the Kanazawa Spring Green Festival this May.
The organizer tweeted on March 10
https://twitter.com/garganchan/status/972281526330077185
音楽祭のチケットは、5/3のC14、5/4のC21（ウラディーミル・アシュケナージ、辻井伸行、オーケストラ・アンサンブル金沢）は売り切れになっちゃったけど、他の公演はまだあるガルよ！
Tickets have been sold out for May 3 performance C 14, May 4 C 21 (Vladimir Ashkenazy, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Ensemble Kanazawa), but other performances still have availability.

*The aforementioned Japan-Sweden diplomatic relationship anniversary concerts were announced last week on March 8. Tickets are to come on general sale March 31. A single ticket for the best seats is priced at 18,000Y (~180USD), or a set of tickets for all three shows (one only with Nobu) at 36,000Y. Word came on March 11 that advance (pre-order) tickets were available to TicketSpace members and reportedly sold out on the same day, despite the very short notice.

* Nobu and his young friend violinist Fumiaki Miura are touring Japan to perform duo recitals this July. On Feb 17, an amusing blog post "Ticket battle for Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura recital" describes the fierce competition for tickets for their two Tokyo Kioi Hall performances.
On March 9, tickets came on sale for another performance elsewhere, and this is the experience of one Twitter:
https://twitter.com/rumirumi0118/status/972302857562087424
三浦文彰×辻井伸行ジュオリサイタル先行431席。。。 取れませんでした(＞＜) 次は一般販売頑張りますよー💪 夜中2時には並んでたらしい😱
Miura Fumiaki × Nobuyuki Tsujii recital advance sales 431 seats... I was not able to take it. Next, I will do the general sales at  two o'clock in the morning
And on March 11 Yura tweeted that tickets for the Fukuoka duo recital came on general sale and was sold out in minutes.
Mind you, we are not talking about pop concerts: these are chamber music recitals of a violinist and a pianist, performing sonatas of Franck and Brahm.

Currently, if you look up Nobu's concerts listed on pia, Japan's major online ticket site, every concert has sold out with the exception of three performances with the Liverpool Phil in May, for which some limited quantities of the most expensive (200USD each) seats remain -- and those will likely be filled by the time of the performance.  [ I have noticed that in Japan, Nobu's recitals are consistently more popular than his concerto performances.]

But don't just take my word for it.  Here is an Instagram posted on Feb 15 by an English speaker in Japan
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfOOJIuj08r/
blessed with a great opportunity to go to Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii’s piano concert🎹😊🎶was on my bucket list for a while till i noticed it isn’t so easy to get his concert tickets😢just magnificent❣️🎹❣️ unforgettable✨
[The accompanying photo shows the program of a closed concert held at Suntory Hall on Feb 13.]

Packed audiences at recitals held in large concert halls; tickets sold out in minutes even for chamber music performances -- I take pleasure in documenting these happenings, because I suspect few people outside of Japan are aware of just what a phenomenon Nobu has been, and how much he has done to draw audiences to classical music concerts.

The last time when Nobu saw Mr. Van Cliburn before his passing, the American pianist urged Nobu to "make a strong impression on others to attract them to classical music", and to "become a pianist who can give a live performance even to an audience unfamiliar with classical music."  I think if he were still alive, Mr. Cliburn would be pleased with what Nobu has done.

RELATED ARTICLES
The 2009 "Nobu Fever" Times Magazine article
"Ticket battle for Nobuyuki Tsujii & Fumiaki Miura recital"
Nobu Fever lives on (April 2012)
How I Caught "Nobu Fever" (2010)
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Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Kapustin -- Osaka reactions

March 11, 2018, 8:38 pm
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Nobuyuki Tsujii is in the midst of his  debut 10 years Japan recital Tour, which started back in February.  The recital features an unusual program.  The first half is a hit parade of favorites by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, and Ravel; but the second half is a series of relatively unfamiliar works of Gershwin, Satie and, most notably, the 8 concert etudes by living composer Nicolai Kapustin.  According to Professor Masahiro Kawakami -- Nobu's long-time piano teacher and a scholar of the composer -- this is the first known performance of the entire set of these etudes at a recital performed on a large tour.

Nobu performs this recital in 13 performances, at 12 different venues and cities.  It is safe to assume that most in the audience had never heard the Kapustin etudes before.  Knowing how courteous the Japanese audiences are,  and the respect that they have for Nobu, I expected that even in the farthest reach of Japan, the audience would sit still for the more avant-garde works.  The toughest test for Nobu on his performance of the Kapustin would come from large cities like Tokyo and Osaka, where the  cross-genre music culture  is vibrant and Kapustin's music would not be unknown.

Nobu performed the recital, twice, in Tokyo at the end of February, and I collected many positive comments from there => But will they "get" Kapustin?

The Osaka performance took place last Sunday March 10.  By all accounts it was another great success.  Below are some comments specific to the Kapustin etudes.

https://twitter.com/icoyuraco/status/972386959485054976 (Yura's tweet)
辻井伸行🌟カプースチン全8曲をこのような大きなツアーで演奏するのは世界でも初めてで、知られざる彼の力が多くの人を感動させていると書いた川上先生。幅の広さ奥行きの深さで新境地が開かれ、粋で華麗で洒落たテクニックは彼の今後の活動と飛躍にプラスでしかない✨とにかく驚愕の楽しさだった♪
Nobuyuki Tsujii. It is the first time in the world for all 8 Kapustin etudes to be performed on such a big tour, wrote Mr. Kawakami, who also wrote that his unknown power is moving a lot of people.
He is opening new ground in range and in depth.  The modern, brilliant and fancy technique can only be a positive factor for his future development.  Anyway, it was amazing fun ♪

https://twitter.com/icoyuraco/status/972393414451855360 [Another Yura's tweet]
辻井伸行カプースチン一曲弾き終わるごとにニッと笑みを浮かべていたのは、あれ？拍手しないんだね😉て表情に見えた。拍手は一曲目からしたいのみんな最後まで我慢したんやね~ん👏アンコール🌟会場の興奮を一瞬にして鎮めた別れの曲とジェニーへのオマージュ。美しいメロディで清々しい終演でした
Nobuyuki Tsujii Kapustin.  Why was he smiling every time he finished playing one song?It looks like he is trying to tell us not to applaud.  I wanted to clap starting from the first song.  Everybody put up with it until the end, I guess. Encores: Farewell calmed the the excitement of the venue in an instant and tribute to Jenny was beautiful and refreshing

https://twitter.com/horatio_2626/status/972452888487215104
シンフォニーホールで辻井伸行氏のピアノを聴いた 彼のピアノは音の円やかさ、甘美な響きを感じさせる一方、過度にロマンティックに淫することがなく現代的でさえある 演奏したカプースチン「8つの演奏会用練習曲」に触れて、ジャズに対する思い入れを辻井氏が語るのを聞き、腑に落ちた気がした
Listening to the piano of Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii at the Symphony Hall made me feel the circularity of the sound, the sweet sound. The Kapustin "8 concert etudes"  played was contemporary and not excessively romantic=; I was hooked.    Listening to Mr. Tsujii speaking about jazz, I felt that I felt it.

https://twitter.com/fuleca0418/status/972422131953762304
辻井伸行さんのカプースチン聞いてる時ほんと夢心地だったんだよほんとに夢だったのかもしれない
Nobuyuki Tsujii's Kapustin. I was really in a dream when I was listening.  It might have been a real dream

The most detailed comment  came in this Instagram posted earlier today
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgLWawDFGbS/
(this link does not work any more -- the account has been made private.)
#コンサート備忘録 -後半- .
プログラム最後の曲
『8つの演奏会用エチュード』/カプースチン
Concert memorandum - second half -.
Program's last song
"8 concert etudes" / Kapustin
その演奏は出だしから今まで見たことない辻井くんと
力強い音とメロディで衝撃的やった。
あんなんもう波動拳レベルやわ…👐⚡️ 
This performance started with something that I never saw from Tsujii
I was stunned by the  powerful sounds and melodies. 
It was something of fist-waving level!
この曲の3番目、トッカティーナが大好きで
よく聴いてたけど(動画の曲)
生で聴いたらめちゃくちゃかっこよくて痺れた！
特に同音連打は疾走してる時の心臓の音みたいやった。
CDで聴いてたのと全っ然ちがう。感情的でドラマティックで、泣くようなメロディではないのになんか泣きそうになった。 
I love the third etude,  Toccatina
I listened to it well on video,
but listening to it live and it was sooo cool and numbing!
Especially the percussive sound was like the sound of the heart when running.
It is totally different from what I listened to on CD.It was emotional, dramatic; although it is not a crying melody, it makes you feel like crying.
1番目の曲が終わった時、会場全体がお客さんの興奮でどよめいていた。5番目の終わりには思わず拍手してしまうお客さんもいた。難曲に挑み、成功させた辻井くん。
8つ全て弾き終わった時、ようやく拍手をして讃えることができて、それはそれは大きな拍手やった👏
When the first etude was over, the entire audience was bursting with  excitement. Some people applauded unexpectedly at the end of the fifth etude. Tsujii-kun has succeeded in tackling the challenge of these difficult pieces.  When he finished playing all 8, we finally applauded in his honor, a great, big applause.
この見事な演奏を聴いて、前半の『英雄ポロネーズ』で感じた余裕と繋がった。このカプースチンはまた必ず聴きたい、と思いながら名残惜しく席を後に…。...
Listening to this stunning performance, I felt most connected to the "Heroic Polonaise" in the first half, but I want to listen to this Kapustin work again, and regretted that I was seated in the back.
#辻井伸行#トッカティーナ#アンコール#涙腺崩壊
# Nobuyuki Tsujii # Toccatina # Encore # lacrimal collapse

Nobu should be encouraged by these reactions.

RELATED ARTICLES
debut 10 years Japan recital Tour
But will they "get" Kapustin? 
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March 14 Grieg's Concerto with Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra

March 14, 2018, 2:56 pm
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March 14 19:00 Grieg's concerto with Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and conductor Tatsuya Shimono, 鹿児 島市民文化ホール Kagoshim Civic Culture Hall
This week, Nobuyuki Tsujii took a break from his "Debut 10 Years" Japan Tour to perform Grieg's concerto with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra 広島交響楽団 and their music director 下野竜也 Tatsuya Shimono, Nobu's former university professor and a long-time advisors.


The concert was held in celebration of  明治維新150周年記念 the 150th anniversary of Meiji Restoration, an significant historical turning point in Japan.
Kagoshima is a seaside city on Japan's scenic Kyushu Island. It is in a prefecture of historical significance in Japan.

March 14 Kagoshima News
https://373news.com/_news/?storyid=91108
鹿児島市出身の指揮者・下野さん、辻井さんと共演　「西郷どん」披
Kagoshima born conductor Mr. Shimono, and Mr. Tsujii co-performed. "Saigo Don" showcased.
　広島交響楽団（広響）の公演が１４日夜、鹿児島市民文化ホールであり、同市出身の指揮者下野竜也さん（４８）のタクトで、ピアニスト辻井伸行さん（２９）とともに美しい音色を響かせた。下野さんが指揮を務めるＮＨＫ大河ドラマ「西郷どん」のテーマ曲も奏で、聴衆２０００人が酔いしれた。
　下野さんは、２０１７年４月から広響の音楽総監督を務める。鹿児島の作曲家、故郡山脩さんの南国情緒あふれる、オーケストラのための「えらぶの歌」で幕開け。グリーグ「ピアノ協奏曲」、ドボルザーク「新世界より」をダイナミックに披露した。
The Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra (Hiroiko) performed at the Kagoshima Citizens' Cultural Hall on the evening of the 14th, generating a beautiful sound under the baton of Mr. Tatsuya Shimono (48), a conductor from the city, with pianist Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii (29) pianist. Mr. Shimono also conducted the theme song of the NHK Taiga Drama "Saigo Don", 2000 audiences got drunk [from the music].
　Mr. Shimono has served as general director of music for the orchestra since April 2017. The concert opened with a "medley of songs" by Kagoshima's composer Yamaoka Yama, followed by Grieg's "Piano Concerto" and Dvorak 's New World " ...
A photo accompanies the article, showing Nobu bowing to the audience, with the conductor and the orchestra behind him.March 15 Concert-goers' reactions

As expected, the concert last night in Kagoshima was a big excitement. Many enthusiastic comments have come up (please scroll down to read collection).   It sounds like Nobu joined in a little fun with the local dialect, and the encores played were local favorites.  He does bring happiness to wherever he performs.

This instagram has detailed description of the concert
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgUZJEGFmCI/
https://www.garow.me/media/1735122330479648904_1969544909
魂を揺さぶられました！ 【明治維新150周年記念 指揮 下野竜也氏 ピアノ 辻井伸行氏
による広島交響楽団演奏会】
The soul was shaken! 【150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration Mr. Tatsuya Shimoji; Piano Nobuyuki Tsujii; Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra concert]
明治維新150周年記念にふさわしく
薩摩の明治維新と関わりを感じさせる曲目 ・郡山脩: オーケストラのための「えらぶの歌」
（えらぶ（沖永良部）といえば、西郷さんが島流しで流され、「敬天愛人」の思想に至ったと言われている場所） ・グリーグ:ピアノ協奏曲 イ短調 （作曲されたのがちょうど150年前）
辻井さんアンコール
・ショパン:ノクターン「遺作」 ・ドヴォルザーク:交響曲第9番 ホ短調「新世界より」
アンコール
・西郷どんテーマ曲
Befitting the 150th anniversary of Meiji Restoration, songs that make you feel involved with Satsuma's Meiji Restoration Karuyama: "Song of Errabu" by the Orchestra.(Speaking of Eriku (Okinoerabe), a place where Mr. Saigo was swept away in the island run and said to have reached the idea of "Respectfully loyal") · Grieg: Piano Concerto in a minor (composed exactly 150 years ago.)
Mr. Tsujii encore
· Chopin: Nocturne "Posthumous"· Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in E minor "From the New World"
Encore· Saigo Don theme song
えらぶの歌という南の島らしくとても明るい曲で始まり
辻井さんが登場されてのピアノ協奏曲は、
劇的なメロディで始まり、激しかったり優しかったり、本当に時代の変わり目を感じるような曲、
「新世界より」の4楽章が始まった時は
“待ったなし”で、新しい世界が開くのを感じました。
It started like a very sunny song called south island with a very bright song
Mr. Tsujii appeared in the piano concerto,
A song that starts with a dramatic melody, is intense or gentle, really feels like a turning point in the times,
When the 4 movement of 'New World' begins
With "no more waiting", I felt a new world opened.
アンコールは
たぶんみんなが望んでいた
「西郷どん」テーマ曲。
Encore is perhaps what everyone wanted
"Saigo Den" theme song.
指揮は下野さん（ドラマ通り）、ピアノ辻井さんという
これ以上ない組み合わせ。
絶頂に達した感動がさらに高まりました。
「西郷どん」生演奏、最高でした。
Mr. Shimono (conducting) and Mr. Tsujii on piano
No better combination.
The impression of reaching the culmination further increased.
"Saigo Don" live performance, it was awesome.
さらにうれしいおまけ
下野さんの鹿児島弁（鹿児島ご出身）に加え、
辻井さんの鹿児島弁
「おやっとさぁ」と「西郷どん」
とてもお上手で愛嬌があり、みんな大喜びでした。
More exciting bonus
In addition to Shimono's Kagoshima dialect (he is from Kagoshima)
Mr. Tsujii's Kagoshima dialect
"Okay Saa" and "Saigo Don"
Very nice and charming, everyone was delighted. 


March 14 Audience reactions
https://twitter.com/milrub/status/973916159023054848
初めて辻井伸行さんの生演奏を聴きました。純粋なエネルギーを感じ目頭が熱くなりました。 下野さんの指揮も熱かった‼︎ 拍手が鳴り止まずアンコールには「西郷どん」のテーマ曲を。 まだ余韻に浸ってます
I listened to Nobuyuki Tsujii's live music for the first time. I felt a pure energy and my eyes became hot. The conducting of Mr. Shimono was also hot ‼︎big applause to the first encore, which is the theme song of "Saigo Don" [an ongoing TV drama about the Meiji Restoration era . I'm still immersed in the afterglow.
Ihttps://twitter.com/ai_fujii0825_/status/973927482372927488
まだ、辻井伸行さんのピアノの余韻に浸っている😌 素晴らしい演奏だった！ 下野竜也さんとステージに出たり入ったり歩く姿、2人とも体格似てて、可愛かっ
It was a wonderful performance 😌 immersed in the reverberation of Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii's piano! Walking on sage with condcutor Tatsuya Shimono, both of them are physically similar, cute.
https://twitter.com/NiNiNgashikuku
今夜は下野竜也さん指揮、広島交響楽団の演奏会。グリーグのピアノ協奏曲ソリストは辻井伸行さん。広響も辻井さんも初めて聴いた。辻井さんは後半に向かって調子が上がっていった感じ。アンコールは地元恒例の下野さんトークと辻井さんも参加して鹿児島人には嬉しいあの曲！楽しかった！
Tonight, Mr. Tatsuya Shimono conducted the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra. Grieg's piano concerto soloist was Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii, whom I heard for the first time. I felt the condition went up with Mr. Tsujii in the second half. The encore is a local favorite  Mr. Shimono talked and Mr. Tsujii also joined in and performed the happy songs for Kagoshima people! It was fun!
https://twitter.com/kiyo_sop_m/status/973921923452186624
下野竜也さんのコテコテの鹿児島弁のトークで盛り上がり、辻井伸行さんが、「おやっとさぁ」と西郷どんって鹿児島弁を喋ってくださったのでも一層盛り上がって、演奏だけじゃなくてトークでも盛り上がる楽しい演奏会でもありましたとさ！
Mr. Tatsuya Shimono talked in Kagoshima dialect, and Mr. Nobuyki Tsujii joined in, saying "Saitara" and talked about Togashi Saigo.  It was not just a performance, but a fun concert that excited us even in the talks!

Comments posted to the Orchestra's Facebook Page
(´⊙ω⊙`)辻井さんご本人じゃないですか！！
私は3月22日に辻井さんの演奏を聴きに行きます♪( ´θ｀)run('⊙Ω⊙')
Mr. Tsujii himself! ! I am going to listen to Mr. Tsujii's performance on March 22 ♪ ('θ `) run ('⊙ Ω ⊙ ')  [Nobu performs his "Debut 10 Years" recital in Niigata on the 22nd.]

聴きました❗
良かったです✨🎵
えらぶのうたはジュニアオーケストラで演奏していたことを懐かしく思いました❗
昔も大好きな曲でしたが、今日聴いて、こんなに難しそうなカッコいい曲だったっけ！？と、惚れ直しました✨
新世界も高校生時代初めてオケで吹いた交響曲なので、感慨深かったです(’-’*)♪
広響さん！西郷どんといい、ホントにありがとうございましたm(__)m✨
もちろん辻井さんのコンチェルトも、ただただ感動でした
I listened!
It was wonderful.
The era's song fondly remembered as I performed them with a junior orchestra ❗
It was a song I love long ago, but listening today, it was a cool song that seems to be so difficult! What? I fell in love with you all ✨
The new world was also a symphony heard for the first time since high school days, so it was deep emotion ('-' *) ♪
Hiroshima Orchestra! Saigo-Don,  thank you very much for a nice day m (__) m✨
Of course Ms. Tsujii's concerto was totally impressive.


https://twitter.com/ariaka261/status/973900128036597760
辻井伸行×下野竜也（お母さんと同じオーケストラ入ってた、甲南の大先輩！）の演奏会行ってきた！
辻井伸行は2回目で、やっぱり最高だった✨
最後に本場の『西郷どん』の主題曲生で聞けたし、辻井の貴重な「おやっとさぁ」と「せごどん」って鹿児島弁聞けてよかったw
楽しかったI went to the concert of Nobuyuki Tsujii × Tatsuya Shimono (he went to the same high school as my mother).  Nobuyuki Tsujii was the 2nd time, and it was again the best. I finally heard the theme song of authentic "Saigo don" and it was priceless to hear Tsujii-san said  "Hey Saa" and "Sogodon" in Kagoshima dialect.   It was fun


https://twitter.com/ai_fujii0825_/status/973893830498926593
下野竜也・辻井伸行・広島交響楽団の西郷どん！ 最高だったー
Saigo don by Tatsuya Shimono · Nobuyuki Tsujii · Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra! It was awesome.

https://twitter.com/milrub/status/974043088493559810 
おはようございます -  昨夜の演奏会のもう一つのアンコール、曲名が思い出せなくてモヤモヤ。 頭の中でメロディだけがぐるぐる-  諦めきれず今朝も検索したらFbに投稿してる方がいらしてスッキリ‼︎ 辻井伸行さん- ショパンノクターン嬰ハ短調『遺作』でした。 素晴らしい演奏会に感謝 Good morning - There was another encore at the concert last night.  I could not recall the name of the song, but the melody has been circling in my head - I cannot give it up, so  I searched this morning, and  someone who posted it to Fb reminded me!Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii played Chopin's posthumous Nocturne.Thanks for a wonderful concert

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgThUXcAEvP/ Instagram
長男と久しぶりのコンサートに出かけました。辻井伸行さんの鹿児島弁が炸裂したステキな水曜日でした。
#鹿児島#明治維新150年#広島交響楽団#下野竜也#辻井伸行#西郷どん
I went to the concert with my eldest son for the first time in a while. Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii's Kagoshima dialect was hilarious.  It was a wonderful Wednesday.
# Kagoshima # 150 years of Meiji Restoration # Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra # Tatsuya Shimono #NobuyukiTsujii # Saigo Don


https://www.instagram.com/p/BgTeMtXlaNq/
アンコールに西郷どん！演奏してくれました。
辻井さんのピアノ、心に響いたな
They played 'saigo don' for encore! Mr. Tsujii's piano sounded in my heart

March 13 Photo from Rehearsal
The orchestra's facebook page posted this photo of Nobu with Maestro Shimono at rehearsal.  Nobu is wearing his camouflage patterned long-sleeve shirt that we have seen before, apparently a recent favorite.  He is seated at the piano with the conductor standing behind, with hands on Nobu's shoulders.  They are smiling happily.  In the background the orchestra members can be seen.
It says in a posting that a few of the most expensive seats are still available.


March 11 "The Parking Lots will be Full"
The venue posted an advance alert that the parking lots will be full on the day and advised concert-goers to allow for extra time.
https://twitter.com/kagoshibunhall/status/972013145030930432
演奏会当日は駐車場の満車が予想されます。お時間に余裕をもってご来館ください。 皆様に気持ち良く演奏会を楽しんでいただくため、周りの方にもお伝えください。 皆さまのご来館をお待ちしております。

 
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2018 Grieg Concerto and Rachmaninov Rhapsody CD

March 15, 2018, 9:23 am
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Grieg Concerto & Rachmaninov Rhapsody CD coming up on May 9

This CD was mentioned during Nobu's U.K. tour in February, and now announcements of its release have surfaced.
Tower record Japan
Billboard Japan
CDJapan
Amazon Japan
グリーグ:ピアノ協奏曲&ラフマニノフ:パガニーニ狂詩曲
辻井伸行 、 ヴァシリー・ペトレンコ 、 ロイヤル・リヴァプール・フィルハーモニー管弦楽団
Grieg: Piano Concerto & Rachmaninov: Paganini Rhapsody
Nobuyuki Tsujii , Vasily Petrenko , Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Item No .: AVCL-25960
Release date: 2018/05/09
辻井伸行、コンチェルト・アルバム第4作。2018年5月に待望の再来日を果たすヴァシリー・ペトレンコ指揮ロイヤル・リヴァプール・フィルとの現地共演に際して行われたライヴ録音を緊急リリース。北欧の抒情に満ちたグリーグは辻井が十年以上弾き込んだ十八番。パガニーニ狂詩曲はラフマニノフが超絶技巧の限りを注ぎ込んだ難曲にして、有名な第18変奏のような深いロマンも魅力。アシュケナージとハイティンクによるラフマニノフの名盤をプロデュースしたアンドルー・コーンオールをして"辻井はSuperだ!"と言わしめた名演
Nobuyuki Tsujii, the fourth concerto album. Urgent release of a live recording which was carried out on site with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra & conducotr Vasily Petrenko, who will make a long-awaited re-arrival in Japan in May 2018. The Grieg work is full of Scandinavian lyrics and has been played by Tsujii for over 10 years. Paganini Rhapsody is a difficult work in which Rachmaninoff imbued transcendent technique and deep romance, such as the famous 18th variation. Performed live and produced by Andrew Cornall, who also produced the famous Rachmaninoff CD by Ashkenazy and (conductor Bernhard Haitinik ) and who remarked "Tsujii is Super!"
[録音]2018年1月31日~2月4日 リヴァプール、フィルハーモニック・ホール
[Recording] January 31 - February 4, 2018 Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall

Nobuyuki Tsujii performs with Petreko & RLPO again in Liverpool this April, and they will tour Japan tour this May.

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Nobuyuki Tsujii and Conductor Tatsuya Shimono

March 15, 2018, 4:12 pm
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On March 14,2018,  Nobuyuki Tsujii performed Greig's Piano Concerto with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra 広島交響楽団 and their music director 下野竜也 Tatsuya Shimono.
By all accounts, the event was a big success.  It seems the orchestra played local favorite works, including an orchestra encore of the theme music for a TV drama series, joined by Nobu.
And Nobu even charmed the crowd by saying a few things in the local dialect, coached by Conductor Shimono, a native of Kagoshima.
 
PHOTO:  Nobu bowing to the audience in Kagoshima, with the conductor and the orchestra behind him. Source: 373news.com

Nobu and Conductor Shimono were no strangers. Mr. Shimono was a professor at Nobu's former university in Tokyo, and he has been a long-time advisor to Nobu. In the 2010 documentary Nobuyuki Tsujii conquers "Pictures at an Exhibition", there is a scene of Nobu -- stymied by the challenge of interpreting the Mussorgsky work -- seeking guidance from the professor.

A big thanks to Nobu fan sunsoon, who discovered an excellent 2010 article about a performance of Nobu and the conductor that was aired on Japan's Nippon TV. The text and some photos of the article is presented below with my English translation.
The original article was found at http://www.ntv.co.jp/yomikyo/20100120.html

The article, painstakingly prepared, sheds light on  the two's relationship, the excitement surrounding Nobu after his Cliburn win, and also on Nobu's early career and college days.

Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii　

June 2009 The biggest news in the classical music world that has inspired all of Japan
Pianist · Nobuyuki Tsujii
First Japanese Winner at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
In commemoration of this accomplishment, we rushed to present a performance Mr. Tsujii on the show 深夜の音楽会  "Late Night Concert." Mr. Tatsuya Shimono, the lead conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra [popularly referred to as the Yomiko], will hold the baton this time. Mr. Shimono has taught at the Ueno Gakuen music department, where Mr. Tsujii attends; Mr. Tsujii says that he took classes from Mr. Shimono. After yesterday's rehearsal, I spoke to the two at the orchestra's practice place.

~ Furukawa Sachiko [announcer/interviewer] × Nobuyuki Tsujii × Shimono Tatsuya ~


Furuichi: This is your first co-starring. How was the rehearsal?
Tsujii: The orchestra was wonderful; Professor Shimono was also wonderful; it was very easy to do.
Shimano: I felt I received air from him to make music together with the orchestra and that the 　orchestras was being drawn  more and more into the performance of Mr. Tsujii, which was a lot of fun.
Furuichi: When did Mr. Shimono first heard Mr. Tsujii's piano ?
Shimano: It was at school that I heard him live.
Tsujii: That's right, at a class at Ueno Gakuen ....
Furuichi: The first encounter was as a teacher and a student, not a conductor and a soloist?
Shimano: Yes. It was one of the lessons he was taking. It happened  just after his winning the competition; and I was also a bit nervous. A superstar is coming! With that feeling. But he studied really well, and we discussed about music together ... It was a fun time.

2003 performance and first collaboration

PHOTO: Nobu Playing Grieg's piano concerto in 2003 (aged 14)
 
Furuichi: Well, Mr. Tsujii, your first co-starring with the Yomiko was the public recording of this "late-night concert" when Mr. Tsujii was 14 years old, wasn't it?
Tsujii: Yes, at that time I had not had much experience with an orchestra, so I was very happy to be able to perform with a professional orchestra. It was also a work that I hd admired from a long time ago .... 
Shimano (Looking at the screen of the video player) : At the age of 14 ... I cannot believe it ... with anv orchestra · · · That's a very beautiful sound from long ago. It has continued to sharpen.

Furuichi: This time, you are playing Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff, which you played at the finals of the Van Cliburn competition. What kind of feeling does Mr. Tsujii have for this work?
Tsujii: When I was in the third grade of elementary school, I went to Russia and I strolled around in the park and felt the magnificence of nature.  In my imagination,  I would like to unite with the orchestra and make good music.
Shimano: I think that he has surely experienced a lot since he won the competition.   And that experience shows up in the performance well.  I think his experience brings out various colors, and at the podium I listen for the various feelings.
Tsujii: I'd like to grow more and more as a human being and also musically, so I would like to see everyone in the long run.   For now, I thank you for your continued support.

♪ Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2


This time, Mr. Tsujii presents Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 which he played in the final of "Van Cliburn International Piano Competition", where he fascinated the whole venue with his polished technique and delicate timbre. The crown prince was also present at the audience seat, and it was said that he enjoyed the the reverberation of the performance of Mr. Tsujii.
When the performance was over, thundererous applause from the venue! Mr. Tsujii responded with a smile to the  enthusiasm.

And Mr. Tsujii played two encores to the applause that would not stop.
Chopin nocturne no. 8 (Op 27-2) and Mr. Tsujii's original composition "The whispering of the river".
In this broadcast, we will show "Whisper of the River".

♪ Nobuyuki Tsujii "Whisper of the River"

Mr. Tsujii has released a number of original compositions.  This particular work was inspired  by a walk that he took with his father along the Kanda river, when he listened to the running stream, which he heard as the whispering of the river.
Mr. Shimono and the orchestra members, along with the audience, listened to the clear tone of Mr. Tsujii's playing of the "Whispers of the River"

PERFORMER PROFILES

Nobuyuki Tsujii (pianist)

Born in 1988. First place in the 1995 All-Japan Blind Student Music Competition. 1999 nationwide PTNA piano competition class D Gold prize. In 1998 he made his debut with Osaka Century in a special concert. Since then, he has performed with Yomiuri Nippon, Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan, New Japan Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, Kansai Philharmonic, Paris Radio, Slovak Phil, Russian National Phil etc. In the 15th Chopin International Piano Competition 2005 he participated as the youngest  contestant and received the "Critics' Award". CD debut with Avex Classics 2007. In June 2009, he made the first Japanese victory at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. After winning, he has also appeared in the Klavier Ruhr Festival (Germany), Aspen Music Festival (USA), attracting attention from the world. Currently, he is studying at the Ueno Gakuen University's Musician Program.

Tatsuya Shimono (conductor)

Appointed in 2006 as the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra conductor and director. Kagoshima University Faculty of Music Education department, Toho Gakuen College accompanying music school  music department, Kiziana Conservatory; studied conducting at the Vienna State College of Music. From 1997 to 1999 he received the tutelage of Mr. Takashi Asahina as conductor of Osaka Phil. Since then, he has performed with numerous orchestras both in Japan and abroad. Yomiuri Nippon has developed ambitious activities such as "Tatsuya Shimono Dvorak Symphony Series" and "Shimono Produces · Heinschmidt · Program", the latter performances have won the Cultural Agency Art Festival Excellence Prize. Tokyo International Music Competition <Conductor> winner. Beszáson International Conductor Competition Winner, Idemitsu Music Award, Norio Watanabe Music Foundation Music Award, Nippon Steel Music Award, Fresh Artist Award, Saito Hideo Memorial Fund Award. Ueno Gakuen University Professor of Music and Culture.

--- end of article ---

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2018 "THE PIANIST!" Nobuyuki Tsujii, Fazil Say & Les Freres

March 19, 2018, 2:20 pm
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March 20 2018
This TicketSpace page just showed up => http://ints.co.jp/the-pianist2018/index.htm

In  summers past, Nobu has joined some fellow Avex performers on  a THE PIANIST! tour in Japan.  The most recent was "The Pianist 2016" Tour with 加古隆 Kako Takashi and レ･フレールLes Freres, July 14-30 2016.  These tours have been wildly popular.

It seems they are back at it this summer, but with a new participant: renowned Turkish pianist Fazil Say, whose concerts in Japan are managed by Avex Classics, Nobu's record label.

The breathless announcement mentions three performances in August  and five in September
"完売必至！空前絶後のピアノコンサート！
感動！興奮！熱狂！～超人気のステージがやってくる！
世界を席巻する人気ピアニスト、ファジル・サイが初登場！
Sold out inevitable! An unprecedented piano concert!
Impressive! Excitement! Enthusiasm ~ Super popular stage ensemble is coming!
Fazil Say, the popular world renowned pianist -- first appearance!"
 
The performances announced on the page are
  1. August 29 (WED) 19:00 東京オペラシティ　コンサートホール Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall
  2. August 30  (THUR) 14:00  Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall
  3. August 31  (FRI) 15:00   神奈川 Kanazawa 横浜みなとみらいホール Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall
  4. Sept 4 京都 Kyoto, 
  5. Sept 5 大阪Osaka
  6.  Sept 6 名古屋 Nagoyaa
  7.  Sept 8 佐世保Sasebo
  8.  Sept 9 大分Oita.
The performance program listed is
 ファジル・サイ     ブラック・アース、３つのバラード、パガニーニJAZZ、他
辻井伸行     ガーシュウィン：３つの前奏曲、カプースチン：演奏会用練習曲より
辻井伸行：ジェニーへのオマージュ、他
レ・フレール     Boogie Back to YOKOSUKA、空へ、On y va!、他 
Fazil Say: Black Earth, three ballades, Paganini JAZZ, others
Nobuyuki Tsujii:  Gershwin Three Preludes, Kapustin concert etudes; Homage to Jenny, others
Les Freres:  Boogie Back to YOKOSUKA, To the sky, On y va !, etc.

In the past, the part that proved most popular was the finale, when all the pianists played together on stage on three different pianos.


It's regrettable that Mr. 加古隆 Kako Takashi ("Sunset Waltz") is not part of the tour this time.  But Mr. Fazil Say (born 1970)  is quite famous and popular in Japan, so this tour should be another bestseller.
These performances are a light duty for Nobu, for him to have a little lighthearted  fun during  summer. Summer weather in Japan is hot and humid, and people are thankful to be in the concert hall to escape the oppressive heat.

Nobu and Fazil Say go back a long way.  Reportedly, Mrs. Tsujii took little Nobu to Fazil's concert and they met backstage, where upon Fazil predicted big things for Nobu.  In the documentary Nobuyuki Tsujii in Turkey aired in Japan December 2011, Mr. Say says on screen that Nobu didn't need to win a competition to become famous.  Mr. Say was the director of  the Antalya Piano Festival in Turkey, December 2011 and invited Nobu to perform there, to great success.  He is a very popular pianist and composer in Turkey. Nobu might learn something from him while on this tour.
Nobu & Fazil in Turkey,  year 2011

Anyway, a lighthearted tour like this is good for Nobu to get away from Chopin and Liszt a little-- he is a young guy, after all. But let's hope we don't lose him to JAZZ completely!

You can watch a documentary of Nobu in Turkey, including footage of their meeting at the Japan Embassy, at time-mark 12:19 of this video

Links to the rest of the show can be found at => Nobuyuki Tsujii in Turkey 2011 TV documentary


TO BE CONTINUED    
Related pages:
"The Pianist 2016" Tour
The 2014 PIANIST Festival, August 2014
Nobuyuki Tsujii in Turkey 2011 TV documentary
Feb 2012 BS-Fuji TV Special
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Nobuyuki Tsujii & Yutaka Sado in Austria, June 2018

March 20, 2018, 10:10 pm
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In June 2018, Nobuyuki Tsujii performs Ravel's piano concerto in G major with conductor Yutaka Sado and his Tonkünstler Orchester
There are 4 performances: 
https://www.tonkuenstler.at/de/tickets/313-dvorak-8-1
June  2  18:30   Grafenegg Auditorium
June 3 15:30 Wien Musikverein | Großer Saal (Golden Hall)
June 4 19:30   St. Pölten Festspielhaus | Großer Saal
June 5 19:30  Wien Musikverein | Großer Saal

The Wien Musikvereinis famous for its Großer Musikvereinssaal(Great Hall), or Goldener Saal (Golden Hall), which is considered by some to be the concert hall with the best acoustics in the world.  It has 1,744 seats and standing room for 300 (wikipedia).

Nobu and Maestro Sado & the Tonkünstler Orchester have performed at these venues before, in May 2015, when they played Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, to great acclaims.

PHOTO Nobu & Sado in the Golden Hall, 2015: Blog of Mrs. Itsuko Tsujii

Nobu has performed Ravel's piano concerto in G major only once, in Japan, with conductor Pascal Rofe (substituting for Marc Minkowski) & the OEK (Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa) in 2014. 

The concerto is Ravel's only piano concerto.  It has a jazz flavor, and its performance seems to be universally favored by virtuosos. Here is a performance by pianist Helene Grimaud => https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbNoqzpbc0U
Tickets for the four upcoming concerts are available at https://www.tonkuenstler.at/de/tickets
As of March 20, tickets have sold well for the two shows in the Golden Hall, where I believe it is usual for performances to sell out.
June 3rd show (top) -- unsold seats are colored.

June 5 performance
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Please stop spreading misinformation about Nobuyuki Tsujii!

March 21, 2018, 11:33 am
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For years, I have waged a lonely battle on the web against misinformation that regularly showed up about Nobu's disability. Perhaps because of some unusual mannerism of Nobu -- related to his blindness -- rumours have proliferated on the web that, in addition to his blindness, Nobu has other disabilities such as mental disorder, autism, or -- most often mentioned -- Down Syndrome.  I have the greatest respect for people with any of these disabilities, but it is disrespectful to them as well to Mr. Nobuyuki Tsujii himself to attribute to him disabilities that he does not have.  My suspicion is that because of his rising fame, Nobu is being made into a poster child for some people's political or social agenda.

The Down Syndrome rumor, especially, seems to be widespread and persistent in postings in Spanish.
Below is a screen grab from a September 4 2017 posting
http://noticieros.televisa.com/videos/pianista-invidente-y-sindrome-down-rompe-barreras/#
Noticieros Televista, a division of the Mexican Televisaradio and television network, posted Nobu's 2013 BBC Proms Debut performance with the heading "Pianista invidente y con Síndrome de Down rompe barreras (translated from Spanish : Blind and Down Syndrome pianist overcomes barriers)"

So it really made my day that, on this day (march 21 2018), a  Spanish Twitter spoke up against yet another misleading posting.
The misleading posting, in Spanish, is typical of its kind
https://twitter.com/OrcasitasC/status/976491003367616512
"Nobuyuki Tsujii,tiene 28 años. Y es capaz de interpretar 'La Campanella' de forma magistral, incluso mejor que el compositor de la pieza Frans Liszt . Es un artista genial que además es ciego y tiene Síndrome de Down".
["Nobuyuki Tsujii is 28 years old and is able to perform 'La Campanella' masterfully, even better than the composer of the piece Franz Liszt, he is a brilliant artist who is also blind and has Down Syndrome".]
The tweet that made my day was posted by Antonia Moler in response to that
https://twitter.com/AntoniaMoler/status/976465436928815104
Qué gran bulo!! El pianista se llama Nobuyuki Tsujii y no tiene Síndrome de Down, simplemente es japonés y ciego. En estos dos enlaces desmienten esta estupidez de bulo. https://www.blindworlds.com/publicacion/17666 …https://sites.google.com/site/nobufans/nobuyuki-faq/faq---2 … Hay que pensar un poquito antes de creerse cualquier cosa.
[What a great hoot !! The pianist is called Nobuyuki Tsujii and he does not have Down Syndrome; he is simply Japanese and blind. These two links refute this stupid hoax. https://www.blindworlds.com/publicacion/17666 ,  https://sites.google.com/site/nobufans/nobuyuki-faq/faq---2... You have to think a little before you believe anything.]
The second page mentioned in the tweet was posted by me, but the first one I was unaware of till now. It turns out to be a publication in Spanish.  Below is an excerpt of it, followed by an English translation
https://www.blindworlds.com/publicacion/17666
CORRECCION A MI PUBLICACION DE AYER: "El Pianista..." (Con Nuevos Datos del Intérprete)
Publicado el Domingo, 12 de Agosto de 2012
Muy buenas a todos los amigos y amigas de BlindWorlds:
Entono la MEA CULPA, respecto a una Publicación mía de ayer Sábado 11 de Agosto y que rectifico gracias a mi amigo Jose Ignacio Corral (Pater familiae y Creador de esta Red Social)...
Me dejé llevar por la emoción al recibir un E-mail de un buen amigo, acerca de:
El Pianista, un ejemplo de superación.
Aunque busqué y rebusqué, exclusivamente sabía lo que mi amigo me había escrito y me dejé llevar de la emoción.
Efectivamente, se trata de un jóven intérprete, llamado: Nobuyuki Tsujii (nació en Tokio, Japón, en 1988) y es efectivamente CIEGO, pero no padece un Síndrome de Down; por lo que mi Publicación es cierta en su primera mitad.
No deja de ser extraordinaria su destreza al Piano y os "Copio y Pego" dos Blogs (¡Para hacerme perdonar, aunque sea un poco de mi Publicación errónea de ayer) en donde se habla en el del "Club de los Poetas Vivos" del error del Mensajito que circula por Internet y otro Blog "BUSQUEDA CONSTANTE" en donde hay una completísima descripción biográfica de nuestro Interpréte.
...
CORRECTION TO MY PUBLICATION OF YESTERDAY: "The Pianist ..." (With New Data)
Published on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Very good to all the friends of BlindWorlds:
Inton the MEA CULPA, with respect to a Publication of mine yesterday, Saturday, August 11 and that I am correcting thanks to my friend Jose Ignacio Corral (Pater familiae and Creator of this Social Network) ...
I got carried away by the emotion when receiving an E-mail from a good friend, about:
The Pianist, an example of overcoming.
Although I searched and searched, I only knew what my friend had written to me and I let myself be carried away by the emotion.
Indeed ,he is a young interpreter, called: Nobuyuki Tsujii (he was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1988) and is actually BLIND, but does not suffer from Down Syndrome; so my Publication is true in its first half. ...

That posting was dated 2012. Unfortunately, it seems it has hardly stopped the rumour. In fact, there has recently been a rash of "Síndrome de Down" postings again. I respond to what I can, but it's clearly a whack-a-mole battle that would never end.

Spanish speakers -- please repeat after me: "Nobuyuki Tsujii no es sindrome de Down. La información no es verdad."

I am grateful that reasonable people have joined me in speaking out against the misinformation.

FOOTNOTE
Nobuyuki Tsujii has made charity appearances in support of Down Syndrome, autism and other disabilities. He is admired by people in those communities. Below is a photo of Nobu with Japanese  calligrapher Shoko Kanazawa, who does have Down Syndrome, at an event in Tokyo hosted by then U.S. ambassador Caroline Kennedy in 2016 to celebrate the Amercian Disability Act.

For an informative read about people with these and other disabilities/anomalies, I recommend the book 'Far from the Tree' by Andrew Solomon. 

RELATED ARTICLES
Web Pages with Misinformation on Nobuyuki Tsujii
FAQ on Nobu's mannerism
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Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Shotakovich Piano & Trumpet Concerto No. 1

March 27, 2018, 10:40 am
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News came today from Japan's Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa (OEK), announcing its "2018-2019 Regular Performance Lineup." 
OEK is a frequent partner of Nobuyuki Tsujii; I believe they have performed together at least once every year since at least 2009.   Sharp-eyed Nobu fan sunsoon  spotted a performance of Nobu in the photo accompanying the orchestra's tweet.
https://twitter.com/sunsoon16/status/978631942429028354
2019/7/18 19:00  [July 18 2019 19:00]
パトリック・ハーン指揮 [Conducted by Patrick Hahn]
ピアノ 辻井伸行 [Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii]
トランペット ルシアンヌ・ルノダン＝ヴァリ [Trumpet Lucienne Renaudin Vary]
ショスターコヴィチ ピアノ協奏曲第一番 [Shostakovich Piano [and Trumpet] Concerto No. 1]
石川県立音楽堂 [Ishikawa prefectural concert hall]

The principal co-performers are noteworthy.  Conductor Patrick Hahn and Trumpet Lucienne Renaudin Vary are music wunderkinds.  Mr. Hahn is Austrian and was born in 1995 (age 23) and Ms. Vary is French and was born in 1999 (age 19).  Nobu will be the old man of the trio!  All three are artists represented by the talent agency Harrison Parrot.

The Piano [and Trumpet] Concerto No. 1 by Dmitri Shostakovich is a favorite among big-name concert pianists, including Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Daniil Trifonov and Yuja Wang.  It is NOT a romantic work in the vein of Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, but more along the line of  Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 [which Nobu has mastered], and is perhaps on par with if not exceeding the difficulty of the Prokofiev piano concertos.
The work is described as follows on wikipedia:
... the trumpet and piano command equal prominence. The trumpet parts frequently take the form of sardonic interjections, leavening the humor and wit of the piano passage work. The trumpet does assume relatively equal importance during the conclusion of the last movement, immediately after the cadenza for piano solo. Years after he wrote the work, Shostakovich recalled that he had initially planned to write a concerto for trumpet and orchestra and then added the piano to make it a double concerto. As he continued writing, it became a piano concerto with a solo trumpet.
...
In several places, synchronization with the orchestra can be very difficult, due to the orchestral part often being offbeat to the soloist part, therefore demanding numerous rehearsals.
The second and third movements contain no significant technical difficulties, except perhaps for a more minor one in the form of awkward 16th note runs in both hands in the middle of the second movement.
The greatest technical difficulty in the first movement is the 3 pages of continuous, rapid leaps in the form of 3-note chords stretched out over two octaves in 8th note triplets in the left hand, sometimes even surpassing two octaves, accompanied by quicksilver 8th note rapidly leaping triplet octaves, in the right hand, all at a tempo of presto.

The final cadenza of the fourth movement is very difficult, containing the typical, very awkward fast runs, with big leaps and passages requiring 4th finger independence.

Arguably the most difficult section, albeit a very short one, is a series of quick leaps, first in the left hand in the stride piano style, and then in both hands - with the second-to-last leap spanning three octaves in the left hand and two octaves in the right hand, followed immediately by the final, fast leap, spanning four octaves in the left hand and two octaves in the right hand - at the very end of the piece. The section is brilliantly virtuosic, with the composer himself known to be able to play it exactly as written.

Below is a YouTube video of Argerich performing the work with Trumpet David Guerrier.
We will have to wait until 2019 for this performance.  Let's hope Nobu will have a chance to perform it outside Japan.

Stay tuned for more!
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