The news sprang up suddenly last Tuesday. Two new concerts featuring Nobuyuki Tsujii were posted by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO). A solo recital on May 24th. And a performance of Shostakovich's concerto no. 1 with conductor Vasily Petrenko on the 27th, to be available via on-demand video in June. I shouted with joy.

Image: Nobu, Petrenko & the RLPO on stage, November 2014. Source: RLPO Facebook page

Like a mirage, that good news was dashed only two days later. It turned out that Nobu was not able to travel to U.K. for those performances after all, due to unanticipated "travel restrictions."

In my heart, I knew the news was too good to be true. Even with vaccines being now available, the pandemic has not dissipated, and in fact things are not looking too good in continental Europe just now (vaccine distribution problems; new lockdowns in Italy and France). And while Japan was never seriously affected by Coronavirus infection, Tokyo in particular has had its issues. Not that I thought I would actually be able to travel from the U.S. to U.K. for the performances, but I was indeed looking forward to watching the on-demand video, ready and willing to shell out the top ticket price for it.

Concerts have been canceled left and right for a year now, thanks to COVID. But I did think I had seen the last of a Nobu concert being canceled due to the pandemic ... and so soonafter the performances were first announced. It was a stunning turn of event, a flip-flop that left me speechless.

I am disappointed, but not bitter. I believe there is a good reason behind it. I have a speculation on how this whole thing came about. Please read on.

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Nobuyuki Tsujii has a special bond with the Liverpool Phil and Maestro Vasily Petrenko.

It all started in November 2014. I and a fellow Nobu fan traveled to Liverpool, U.K. to witness Nobu's debut with an orchestra and its chief conductor that we frankly knew little about. Looking back, I can hardly believe that they performed Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 AND Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3, over 3 days! We happened to stay at the same hotel as Nobu and his team, which included his mother Itsuko. I clearly remember how enthusiastic the Liverpool audience was for their orchestra and for Mo. Petrenko, how warmly Nobu -- whom few of them must have heard of -- was received, and how relieved Nobu was after successfully performing Rach 3 for the first time.

Image: Nobu and conductor Petrenko going on stage in Liverpool. November 2014 --source: Yura on Twitter

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Little did I know that we were witnessing the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The orchestra, Mo. Petrenko & Nobu would tour Japan the next year [2015], 8 stops in 7 cities -- it was a roaring success. The winsome combination -- of the boyish Russian maestro, the beloved pianist, and the esteemed British orchestra -- won hearts all over Japan.

Image: Nobu, Petrenko & orchestra in Japan, 2015. Source: Former Nobuyuki Tsujii official site

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The friendship endured. In 2016, Nobu returned to Liverpool to perform the "Emperor" concerto with guest conductor Darrell Ang.

With Petrenko & the orchestra, Nobu toured U.K. in 2018, performing Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini and Grieg's concerto in Liverpool and Nottingham. A performance of the Grieg's concerto was live-streamed, and both works were recorded and released on CD.

Image: Liverpool Phil - Petrenko - Nobu 2018 CD

In September 2019, Nobu was in Liverpool to perform Rach 2 in the orchestra's 2019 season opener. He also appeared in the orchestra's 2019-20 season program, with a recital to take place in their St George's Hall Concert Room on May 10 2020, followed by a performance of Rach 3 with Petrenko & the orchestra on May 14. A Japan tour was to take place in September.

Image: Nobu and Mo. Petrenko in rehearsal, 2019. Source: Nobuyuki Tsujii official website.

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But the COVID pandemic struck in January 2020. The recital and the Rach 3 performance were postponed, then cancelled. The Japan tour -- they were already selling tickets for the 7 performances -- eventually had to be called off.

Yet more heartbreaks would follow. In September, an orchestra representative revealed on Twitter that the RLPO was to appear in the 2020 BBC Proms with Petrenko and Nobu, in a performance of the Paganini Variations. The performance, along with the Proms, had no chance against the virus.

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International travels have, for a long time, come to a stand still as countries closed their borders to non-essential travels. So when the recital (to be held in the orchestra's large hall this time) & Shostakovich concerto were announced, I thought it was a bold move on both sides -- the orchestra as well as Nobu -- even as I wished with all my heart for the news to come true.

It was not to be. And, sadly, I am afraid this marks the end of that beautiful relationship, at least for now. You see, conductor Petrenko and the RLPO will part ways after the 2020-21 season. It was announced back in 2018 that Mo. Petrenko would become the new Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021 -- this year.

This is pure speculation, but I believe the all-too-quickly-cancelled performances were a valiant attempt by the orchestra to bring Nobu to Liverpool to perform with their beloved maestro, one last time before his departure. "Liverpool knows and loves Nobuyuki Tsujii – the Japanese pianist, whose artistry and charisma leaves audiences cheering and critics lost for words," so says the concert announcement, which calls Nobu an "audience favourite." It's enough to make me tear up.

Our fearless Nobu probably readily said yes to the orchestra's invitation. After all, he has already been performing all over Japan, and I imagine he misses performing abroad -- Nobu is not immune to cabin fever. I suspect trouble came when Nobu's staff started making the travel arrangements -- my guess is that quarantine requirements might have been an issue.

Nothing can be taken for granted. The pandemic has made that abundantly clear. Everybody has suffered. The performing industry, in particular, has been dealt a devastating blow. Nobu and the RLPO are among the lucky ones who have been able to continue to perform to local audiences and online.

Their paths may part for now, but let's hope they will keep in touch, and will perform together again, some day. Perhaps Mo. Petrenko will invite Nobu to perform with his new orchestra, or perhaps the RLPO will invite Nobu to perform with them under a new baton, or perhaps there can be a reunion with Mo. Petrenko as a guest conductor for the orchestra. We can hope.

As a parting image, here is my favorite photo of Mo. Vasily Petrenko guiding Nobu on stage. It will stay on my mind.