Playing it by ear
> Piano maestro Nobuyuki Tsujii has not let his lack of sight blind him to the beauty of music in every breath on the concert stage
said with infectious enthusiasm.
A very rare example of a blind pianist at such a high level, Tsujii said he is inspired by the sensations provided by nature and other art forms.
“From a very young age, my mother gave me experiences outside of music,” he said.
“She would take me to museums and describe the drawings or paintings she liked. She would take me to a firework display and describe the colours.”
Tsujii’s journey to becoming an accomplished pianist was also the subject of a 2015 documentary titled Touching the Sound: The Improbable Journey of Nobuyuki Tsujii.
Filmed over a period of several years, the documentary followed Tsujii as he travelled to perform in numerous international concert halls and competitions, beginning with his gold-medal triumph in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas.
The film included interviews with Tsujii’s family, capturing the challenges he faced growing up, and how he overcame negative perceptions about his disability to become an inspiration to others.
The film also featured scenes of Tsujii performing works of Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Beethoven, Mussorgsky, and other piano masterpieces.
Tsujii explained that his main musical influence is the “delicate, elegant, romantic” Chopin, whose patriotism he admires.
“He had extremely strong feelings for his country, Poland,” said Tsujii, adding that he was also drawn to Beethoven, Debussy and Ravel.
Tsujii has refused to let his disability get the better of him, inspiring many other people with disabilities both in Japan and around the world. – Agencies