Nobuyuki Tsujii turns 30!!

Take a good look at this screen grab from the Nobuyuki Tsujii English Wikipedia Page.  In a few day, on September 13,  the '(age 29)' label will change to -- 'age 30'!


Yes, Nobuyuki Tsujii -- our beloved Nobu -- has reached the BIG-3-Oh.
Because of his boyish look and baby face, it is difficult to picture Nobu entering his 30's. Mind you, Nobu can still easily pass for a high-school student, especially to Western eyes. But there is no denying it. In the decade that I have followed his career, Nobu has visibly matured, and how. From the pudgy and shaggy-haired 20 years old who received a gold medal from Mr. Van Cliburn at the 2009 Cliburn Competition, Nobu has evolved into a polished and confident young man who has traveled and seen the world.

There is a quote, attributed to 19th century American Lew Wallace, on the subject of "turning 30":
Times have changed.  But Nobu has certainly "ploughed his field of life."  Not everyone manages to find the true calling of their life.  At 30, Nobu has fulfilled what he set out to do from a young age, having established himself as a world-class pianist and notable composer. There is no need any more to mention his blindness; his success and popularity have gone beyond the compelling story of "the miracle pianist."  If reaching 30 indeed means entering the "summer time" of one's life, then it promises to be a glorious summer in Nobu's case.
 
PHOTO: A collage from my collections of photos of some important figures and key moments in Nobu's life so far.  The images are from various sources.

Over the years, I have writtenmy share of purple prose about Nobu.  But these days there is no longer the need for me to sing his praise, as so many others have chimed in. Just in the past two days, these quotes came up to bear testimony of Nobu's status:
https://music18instruments.hatenablog.com/entry/2018/09/08/090000 (blog post from a concert goer]
https://twitter.com/yuki171208021/status/1038055728647303170 (Tweet from Nobu fan Yuki)
And many more such accolades can be read in the Nobuyuki Tsujii "Debut 10 years" 2017 special concert Brochure, lovingly collected from artists worldwide -- Yutaka Sado,Valery Gergiev, Vasily Petrekno ... Fumiaki Miura.

As someone who has followed his career for almost a decade, I feel a sense of pride for Nobu that I really have no right to claim.  But I know I am not alone in feeling that way, as so well expressed by a blogger this past July:
https://blog.goo.ne.jp/kakippp/e/a6f54785cc63eed3039ddb1257b05eb2

 
PHOTO: A collage of favorites from my collections of Nobu photos. Images from various sources. 

It has been suggested that at 30, a man is at the peak of his mental capacity as well as his physical appeal. I don't put much stock in such claims.  But Nobu certainly seems to be doing well.  He is physically fit and happy.  According to his management, his concert schedule is solidly booked for at least the next two years.  Even as his popularity in Japan keeps him (too) busy, Nobu has steadfastly expanded his repertoire. He has demonstrated his remarkable versatility, drawing audience to not just his solo recitals and orchestra performances, but also to duo recitals and to ensemble performances such as the PIANIST! series. He can delight an audience with Chopin/Rachmaninof as well as Gershwin/Kapustin, but also his own compositions   A rock-solid performer, Nobu has proven his mettle by turning in sterling performances in even the most trying condition, such as at the boisterous BBC Proms in 2013 and, more recently, in the extreme heat of the Friedrichshafen Cultural Festival in Germany.

Which is not to say that there are not challenges ahead for him. Nobu used to openly express his desire to play with "top orchestras" such as the Berlin Philharmonic.  The invitation has yet to materialize.  (I have my theories on why -- and it has nothing to do with Nobu's musicality.)  Another challenge is Nobu's publicly stated desire to be part of the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics.  Although such things matter little to me personally, I hope the powers-that-be in Japan will see fit to grant Nobu his wish.  I am also concerned that, even as he has expanded his repertoire, Nobu continues to be typecast by oversea orchestras to perform a limited list of concertos ("Emperor", Rach 2, Tchai 1, Grieg, etc) -- I applaud Maestro Vasily Petrenko as a notable exception in that regard. Other worries: Will Nobu ever fulfill his dream of composing a concerto? Will the support for him dwindle in Japan now that he has outgrown the "boy genius" label?

Yet it's a good thing for Nobu to have challenges to deal with.  I look forward to the pleasure of witnessing him overcome these hurdles, and I hope Nobu never runs out of challenges to conquer.  Ultimately, themost important thing is that Nobu himself is happy and that he enjoys what he does.   I hope he will continue to thrive with the support of those around him, so that he may keep on spreading  happiness and inspiration with his music and indomitable spirit.

In conclusion, I will borrow these tweets [from different people]:

Happy 30th birthday, Mr. Tsujii!  May your light shine bright to guide us for many, many more years.

Image source: https://www.aliexpress.com/