Those of us who follow Nobu's career would recognize him instantly: a handsome, slim, neatly dressed gentleman who seems always to be by the side of our beloved pianist.
It is a familiar sight: Mr. Asano, dressed in dark, appears with Nobu on stage, guiding him to the piano in gracious choreographed movements, and then quietly steps back into the wings or behind the piano.
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Nobuyuki Tsujii is a passion of mine (as a fan, that is ^_^) since 2010, and Mr. Asano has been a major enabler of that passion. It was through the good grace of Mr. Asano that I have been able to gain access to greet Nobu backstage after his concerts.
My acquaintance with Mr. Asano began in 2010, when I ran into Nobu and him at the San Francisco International Airport, on our separate paths to a Nobu recital in Northern California. They were in a rush as I rudely approached, "introducing" myself to Nobu. Instead of giving me the cold shoulder that I so deserved, Mr. Asano was friendly and receptive from the start.
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PHOTO: Mr. Asano guiding Nobu at a U.S. post-concert reception, in 2010.
Mr. Asano, known to us foreigners as Nick, is in reality 浅野尚幸 Naoyuki Asano.
Here he is, in a 2006 photo posted on a webpage for the Sendai Classic Festival, in his early days of working for Avex Classics, Nobu's record label.
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According to Mr. Asano himself, he joined Avex Classics in summer 2005. In the footage shown in the 2009 Cliburn Competition documentary by Peter Rosen, he is not the stage escort for Nobu, but he was definitely among the people around Nobu at the competition, as evidenced by this photo below that Mr. Asano shared with me, which shows him with Nobu at the competition's award ceremony, before the winners were announced. In 2011, the Avex Classics International subsidiary was created, and Mr. Asano played a key role in its formation and operation. In 2014, a London office for the subsidiary was announced.
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Sadly, it seems the trip to the U.S. this past September (with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) was the last time that Mr. Asano would be traveling with Nobu for Avex.
I cannot describe the sadness that has descended on me since I heard the news, not just for myself, but for Nobu. Mr. Asano, I have come to realize, is an ideal travel companion for Nobu. He was responsible for the logistics of the frequent trips, including dealing with the onerous international bureaucracy, preparing the travel arrangements, making contacts, finding places, setting up recording sessions, and doing everything necessary to deliver Nobu on time to rehearsals and concerts. I have witnessed him adroitly navigating his way to a restaurant just after landing in Stuttgart, holding an ipad on one hand and with a hungry Nobu in tow. His trip with Nobu involves handling a large amount of luggage while threading his way with Nobu at busy airports, through flight delays and cancellations– a superhuman effort. And, unlike Nobu, Mr. Asano suffers badly from jet lags. I am especially impressed that Mr. Asano paid attention to Nobu's health even during their busy traveling schedules: seeing to it that Nobu eats properly and spending time with Nobu at the gym.
Nobu himself has called Mr. Asano his "father on tour", and a "very good father."
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After concerts, it is Mr. Asano who guides Nobu backstage, greets Nobu's admirers, takes photos, hands out CDs to VIPs, and keeps things under control.
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Mr. Asano is also the one who accompanies Nobu in countless scenes that appear in Nobu's numerous TV documentaries.
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PHOTO: Mr. Asano helps Nobu to get on a space flying simulator in New York, 2016.
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PHOTO: 2011 Turkey
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PHOTO: 2012 Austria
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PHOTO: 2013 Colorado, U.S.
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PHOTO: 2015 Winnipeg, Canada, in the studio of a radio station.
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PHOTO: Summer 2018 River Cruise in France after Nobu's appearance at the Biarritz Festival
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PHOTO: Mr. Asano at a dinner with Nobu in New York City on the eve of the September 20 2018 Carnegie Hall performance. (Photo source: Instagram by Mrs. Itsuko Tsujii)
In 2015, Nobu performed in Sonoma, California (needless to say, I was there). There was a screening of the Peter Rosen documentary "Touching the sound," followed by a Q&A on stage in which Nobu appeared with Peter Grilli -- former President of the Japan Society of Boston -- serving as a gracious and able interpreter. At the end, the audience called for Mr. Asano and gave him a prolonged round of heart-felt applause.
Mr. Asano has assured me that his colleagues at Avex International will carry on, and Nobu will continue to be in good hands. When I commented on the hard work and sacrifices that he has made over the years on behalf of Nobu, he denied adamantly. Traveling with Nobu was not a hardship, he insisted.
Farewell, Mr. Asano! I will indeed carry on with sharing Nobu news on social media, but it will not be the same without you being around Nobu. I hope with all my heart that everything will turn out all right for you, and for Nobu.
Postscript
On Monday October 15, a bouquet was delivered to Mr. Asano at his Avex International office. An accompanying gift card says "THANK YOU from ALL Nobu fans!!"
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Mr. Asano: The flowers will not last, but our gratitude is eternal.
Dec 23 2018 POSTSCRIPT
On Dec 17, Nobu held a Paris Recital that was a great success. On this trip, Nobu was accompanied by Mr. Asano's successor, Mr. Nakamura. It is reassuring that Nobu seems to continue to be in good hands. I wrote Mr. Asano to mention to him that his absence did not go unnoticed by some Nobu fans. I heard back from Mr. Asano, who wrote that he is enjoying his new, obligation-free life, and, "Nobu drops a very friendly line to me time to time, approx. monthly."
RELATED ARTICLES
A 2016 Interview of Mr. Asano that appears in a Japanese U.K. digest
It is a familiar sight: Mr. Asano, dressed in dark, appears with Nobu on stage, guiding him to the piano in gracious choreographed movements, and then quietly steps back into the wings or behind the piano.
Nobuyuki Tsujii is a passion of mine (as a fan, that is ^_^) since 2010, and Mr. Asano has been a major enabler of that passion. It was through the good grace of Mr. Asano that I have been able to gain access to greet Nobu backstage after his concerts.
My acquaintance with Mr. Asano began in 2010, when I ran into Nobu and him at the San Francisco International Airport, on our separate paths to a Nobu recital in Northern California. They were in a rush as I rudely approached, "introducing" myself to Nobu. Instead of giving me the cold shoulder that I so deserved, Mr. Asano was friendly and receptive from the start.
PHOTO: Mr. Asano guiding Nobu at a U.S. post-concert reception, in 2010.
Mr. Asano, known to us foreigners as Nick, is in reality 浅野尚幸 Naoyuki Asano.
Here he is, in a 2006 photo posted on a webpage for the Sendai Classic Festival, in his early days of working for Avex Classics, Nobu's record label.
According to Mr. Asano himself, he joined Avex Classics in summer 2005. In the footage shown in the 2009 Cliburn Competition documentary by Peter Rosen, he is not the stage escort for Nobu, but he was definitely among the people around Nobu at the competition, as evidenced by this photo below that Mr. Asano shared with me, which shows him with Nobu at the competition's award ceremony, before the winners were announced. In 2011, the Avex Classics International subsidiary was created, and Mr. Asano played a key role in its formation and operation. In 2014, a London office for the subsidiary was announced.
Sadly, it seems the trip to the U.S. this past September (with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) was the last time that Mr. Asano would be traveling with Nobu for Avex.
I cannot describe the sadness that has descended on me since I heard the news, not just for myself, but for Nobu. Mr. Asano, I have come to realize, is an ideal travel companion for Nobu. He was responsible for the logistics of the frequent trips, including dealing with the onerous international bureaucracy, preparing the travel arrangements, making contacts, finding places, setting up recording sessions, and doing everything necessary to deliver Nobu on time to rehearsals and concerts. I have witnessed him adroitly navigating his way to a restaurant just after landing in Stuttgart, holding an ipad on one hand and with a hungry Nobu in tow. His trip with Nobu involves handling a large amount of luggage while threading his way with Nobu at busy airports, through flight delays and cancellations– a superhuman effort. And, unlike Nobu, Mr. Asano suffers badly from jet lags. I am especially impressed that Mr. Asano paid attention to Nobu's health even during their busy traveling schedules: seeing to it that Nobu eats properly and spending time with Nobu at the gym.
Nobu himself has called Mr. Asano his "father on tour", and a "very good father."
After concerts, it is Mr. Asano who guides Nobu backstage, greets Nobu's admirers, takes photos, hands out CDs to VIPs, and keeps things under control.
Mr. Asano is also the one who accompanies Nobu in countless scenes that appear in Nobu's numerous TV documentaries.
PHOTO: Mr. Asano helps Nobu to get on a space flying simulator in New York, 2016.
PHOTO: 2011 Turkey
PHOTO: 2012 Austria
PHOTO: 2013 Colorado, U.S.
PHOTO: 2015 Winnipeg, Canada, in the studio of a radio station.
PHOTO: Summer 2018 River Cruise in France after Nobu's appearance at the Biarritz Festival
PHOTO: Mr. Asano at a dinner with Nobu in New York City on the eve of the September 20 2018 Carnegie Hall performance. (Photo source: Instagram by Mrs. Itsuko Tsujii)
In 2015, Nobu performed in Sonoma, California (needless to say, I was there). There was a screening of the Peter Rosen documentary "Touching the sound," followed by a Q&A on stage in which Nobu appeared with Peter Grilli -- former President of the Japan Society of Boston -- serving as a gracious and able interpreter. At the end, the audience called for Mr. Asano and gave him a prolonged round of heart-felt applause.
Mr. Asano has assured me that his colleagues at Avex International will carry on, and Nobu will continue to be in good hands. When I commented on the hard work and sacrifices that he has made over the years on behalf of Nobu, he denied adamantly. Traveling with Nobu was not a hardship, he insisted.
"Honestly, it was not easy, maybe some people could not do it, but once you take seat next to Nobu on the airplane, you'll immediately know your responsibility which makes you stronger."
He added:"I don't feel tired/exhausted from traveling with Nobu. It has been simply a pleasure, a privilege, a source of energy, and a dream comes true experience, my family has been proud of it, too... But, to be fair, I should confess this, I haven't had much time that allowed me to work on other projects when I'm traveling..."
And these words of Mr. Asano will forever stay with me:
"Anyway, the reason of my [stepping down] is not about Nobu at all.
I completely trust in his talent and I'm happy to keep my eyes on him through the windows (and halls?) you opened [referring to my humble website for Nobu's international fans, a gracious compliment]."
I completely trust in his talent and I'm happy to keep my eyes on him through the windows (and halls?) you opened [referring to my humble website for Nobu's international fans, a gracious compliment]."
Farewell, Mr. Asano! I will indeed carry on with sharing Nobu news on social media, but it will not be the same without you being around Nobu. I hope with all my heart that everything will turn out all right for you, and for Nobu.
Postscript
On Monday October 15, a bouquet was delivered to Mr. Asano at his Avex International office. An accompanying gift card says "THANK YOU from ALL Nobu fans!!"
Mr. Asano: The flowers will not last, but our gratitude is eternal.
Dec 23 2018 POSTSCRIPT
On Dec 17, Nobu held a Paris Recital that was a great success. On this trip, Nobu was accompanied by Mr. Asano's successor, Mr. Nakamura. It is reassuring that Nobu seems to continue to be in good hands. I wrote Mr. Asano to mention to him that his absence did not go unnoticed by some Nobu fans. I heard back from Mr. Asano, who wrote that he is enjoying his new, obligation-free life, and, "Nobu drops a very friendly line to me time to time, approx. monthly."
RELATED ARTICLES
A 2016 Interview of Mr. Asano that appears in a Japanese U.K. digest