NOBU

Described by The Observer as the “definition of virtuosity,” Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii (Nobu), blind from birth, won the joint Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009 and has since earned an international reputation for the passion and excitement he brings to his live performances. Nobu has appeared with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Mariinsky Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, and NHK Symphony, under the baton of renowned conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Vasily Petrenko. 

Nobu has performed recitals at major venues across North America, including Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, and regularly appears at prestigious European venues like Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, Royal Albert Hall in London, Berlin Philharmonie, and Musikverein in Vienna. Highlights of his 2018/19 season include returns to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra under Ashkenazy, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under Gergiev, and a tour of the US East Coast and Asia with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He also debuts in the International Piano Series at Southbank Centre in London and performs at the Rostropovich Festival and various German venues. 

As an exclusive recording artist for Avex Classics International, Nobu’s albums include Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 with the BBC Philharmonic, and recital discs of Chopin, Mozart, Debussy, and Liszt. His live DVD recording of his 2011 Carnegie Hall recital was named DVD of the Month by Gramophone, as was his documentary film ‘Touching the Sound – The Improbable Journey of Nobuyuki Tsujii.’ Nobu’s international tours are supported by All Nippon Airways (ANA).