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http://www.insidethearts.com/sticksanddrones/2009/06/07/ron-spigelman/1646/  posted by Ron Spiegelman, Principal Pops Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.  Mr. Spiegelman  interviewed Conductor Conlon and Michael Shih, the Concertmaster of the orchestra.  His conversation with Shih can be heard through a link on this page.  I transcribed most of it, shown below, just in case the page disappears.

I talked with Michael Shih, the outstanding Concertmaster of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra whom I worked with for the first time exactly 8 years ago at the pre-rehearsals for the 2001 Cliburn competition. In our conversation the issue of communication came up in regards to performing with the blind Japanese Pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii. It has been a revelatory experience for all of us to work with him, watch and listen to him and to learn quickly that there were no issues at all!

 R(on) S(pigelman): … About communication in particular.  I saw this with Nobuyuki Tsujii … that communication was very interesting with him.  For one thing he needed a translator …

Shih: Yes, Izumi Lund from the violin section; she’s Japanese, so she was able to facilitate some of the translation that’s necessary .  However, one of the things that I noticed is that  -- Izumi did a great job --  but you can also tell that he (Nobuyuki)  really did not need a translator, because whenever Maestro Conlon had something to say to him he can gesture on the piano or he can sing, and  he (Nobuyuki) gets it right away.  There’s no better demonstration of what music is, and that music is truly a universal language.  So that even if you may not have your sight, in his case, but music translates no matter what.  It’s really amazing how the two can breathe together, how it just comes together naturally.  It really is remarkable.  It speaks volumes about Nobuyuki’s musicianship.

RS: It’s a very powerful thing to see.  And the audience for his Chopin (Concerto) …  a lot of them were crying.  You can easily just say it’s because of the tremendous accomplishment.  But I think, you know, it’s still real.  You can’t help but be affected by it.  (I sometimes feel emotional by Beethoven’s music, knowing that he could not hear it.)…  I think with Nobuyuki, he can’t see the adulation; he can’t see the musicians that he’s working with …

Shih: But I bet he feels it.

RS: He feels it.  It’s a very powerful feeling that we are all communicating in some way.   I saw people in the orchestra being affected by it.  And that in particular is a remarkable experience in this competition.  And you talked about their breathing together: Initially when he was working with him one on one, it was what system you are using, how many beats are you counting before this entrance.  And then they changed.  Suddenly it’s about breathing together.  This is a good way of listening even if you can’t see.

Shih … It’s a good way to teach music to youngsters.  When the music is there, everything becomes organic and inevitable.  I think with Nobuyuki he really conveys that sense that when he finishes speaking about this that it naturally flows.  Me and some of the musicians were talking backstage about how Nubuyuki’s performance is pure music in the best sense.  There is no extra-curriculum activities but that.  It doesn’t mean extra-curriculum is bad.  He simply focused on that.  And he makes it … draws you into his music.

RS: He really does.

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