Nobuyuki Tsujii Brings the Rach(maninov)

By Joule K. Zelman

What does Nobuyuki Tsujii have in common with Sergei Rachmaninov, the last great Russian Romantic composer?   

Tsujii — known affectionately as “Nobu” to his many fans — is among the world’s most celebrated classical pianists. One of the rare young classical musicians with star power that shines beyond the concert hall, Tsujii is a household name in his country of Japan and, early on, achieved a reputation as one of the most gifted pianists alive.  

In addition to his virtuosic and boldly emotional style, Tsujii is admired for the remarkable system he invented for learning music. Blind from birth due to microphthalmia, Tsujii discovered there were not enough Braille scores for him to study the full repertoire he desired. So, with assistance from a team of pianists, who record sections of scores for him complete with composers’ instructions, Tsujii learns works piece by piece and forms his own musical interpretations.  

This month, Tsujii makes his long-awaited return to Seattle to bring fresh life to one of the canon’s iconic concerti. In conjunction with the Seattle Symphony’s 2022/2023 series of concerts celebrating Rachmaninov’s 150 years, Tsujii will play Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. 

Tsujii has a special connection to this piece. He played “Rach 2” at the finals of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, where he tied for first place. This victory, with its prize of a three-year contract for worldwide performances, marked the launch of his dazzling career.  

More than a decade later, Tsujii draws a parallel between his life trajectory and Rachmaninov’s. The composer’s Second Piano Concerto represents, to Tsujii, an opportunity for reinvention. The works of Rachmaninov — who, like Tsujii, was a piano virtuoso — now feature prominently in the classical repertoire, but the composer fell into a deep depression after the debut of his First Symphony in 1897 went badly awry. The instantly popular piano concerto marked his recovery and return to composing in 1901.   

Over email, Tsujii wrote: “This work [Piano Concerto No. 2] was a turning point in Rachmaninov’s life as a musician and composer, reviving his life. Performing this piece in the competition was a turning point in my career. It is an important piece that I play while overlapping the turning points in my life and Rachmaninov’s.” 

Tsujii never suffered the same public panning as Rachmaninov did with his First Symphony (which has since been reevaluated and appreciated by audiences and critics alike). But he identifies with the emotional tenor of Rach 2: “This piece is full of hope, so I play it with great care from beginning to end.” 

Since his triumph at the Cliburn Competition, Tsujii has performed with such luminary conductors as Vladimir Ashkenazy and Kent Nagano, and notable ensembles like the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, the Orchestra Teatro Della Scala and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; he recorded a live performance of Rach 2 with the latter in 2019. 

Pandemic travel disruptions have forced him to cancel various live dates, but the break from performing has allowed him a period of study and renewal.  

“I had been busy before COVID, but because of the pandemic, all concerts were cancelled, which gave me time to study what I wanted to do and new repertoire,” he explained. “It also gave me time to review my performance and repertoire.”  

Between studying new pieces and reviewing the works he knows well, he says his performance may have evolved somewhat. But one thing is likely to remain consistent: the rapturous reception of his performances, which many music critics have remarked on using words like “miraculous” and “electrifying.” Audiences tend to have intense emotional reactions to Tsujii’s playing, a testament to his ability to make classics of the Western canon feel fresh and lively. He possesses a flair for bringing out the depths of feeling in familiar pieces. Even competition judges have yielded to the urge to close their notebooks and “give [themselves] up” to the music, according to Boston Globe writer and Cliburn Competition juror Richard Dyer.  

His virtuosity is still winning him new fans, but part of his mass appeal may have something to do with his air of warmth and humility. He frequently plays concerts for schools, charities like the Japanese Red Cross and organizations benefitting people with disabilities. In 2011, not long after the launch of his career, he raised funds for victims of the Tohoku earthquake through performances and CD sales. Last year marked the 10-year anniversary of that catastrophe, and Tsujii gave a concert in Tokyo to honor those whose lives were lost. He has also composed music to commemorate the victims of the tsunami caused by the earthquake.  

“I’ve wished to help and use music to soothe the pain and sorrow of those who lost family, friends, a lover, or other important parts of their lives,” said Tsujii in a 2013 interview with The Seattle Times when asked about the benefit concerts.   

Beyond these somber occasions, Tsujii has a down-to-earth air. He has an active Instagram account with photos of him at lunch or out in parks as well as in the concert hall. A November 19, 2022 post shows him in Hawaii, smiling and wearing a lei as he relaxes on a hotel porch, and reads, “Music class with local children tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it now.” Most of the time, live classical music performance is a grand and elevated event; while he respects the formality, Tsujii’s off-stage persona renders him approachable — maybe one factor in his ability to make classical music accessible for a broader audience.   

But perhaps more to the point, Tsujii hews to a performance philosophy that is as unpretentious as it is demanding: He strives “to make [his] playing enjoyable, whether it is classical, [his] compositions or improvisation.” As simple as this sounds, refreshing and renewing the classical canon for all audiences — from longtime music lovers to children hearing beloved works for the first time — takes something beyond skill. Tsujii’s gift is to find the path to the heart of a musical piece, and to bring audiences on the journey with him.  

Nobuyuki Tsujii performs Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on January 26 & 28, 2023; Jiří Rožeň conducts. CLICK HERE to read the program notes. 

Nobuyuki Tsujii’s performances are generously sponsored by The Nakajima Family.