FAQ-1

Q: How does Nobuyuki learn to play music that he cannot read?

Here’s what Nobuyuki himself said, in an October 2010 interview:

 “I do not know how much Braille music has been published, but I know it is not much. Lately, I also do not use Braille music because it needs to be memorized before touching the piano. Therefore, it takes a lot more time than listening (to a composition) to memorize.

So, I am memorizing music on the cassette-tape which is recorded at some appropriate length by single hand, each with meticulous markings. At the same time, a voice recording about phrasing or articulation is included, so it is possible to choose edits, too. However, I do not copy someone’s perfect recording, which is played by both hands.”

Above:Cassette tapes sitting on top of Nobu's piano at home --

Above: Nobuyuki practicing at home - you can see the cassette tape recorder on the music rack.

In another article translated from Japanese:

 "…Since reading a musical score written in Braille is time consuming, and many works are not available in Braille form, Tsujii now learns all the music he plays by listening to recordings. Learning a piece of music involves much more than simply memorizing a sequence of notes and dynamic effects. The musician’s mind, ear, and fingers have to master thousands of details, including subtle variations in tone, phrasing, voicing, and the piece’s musical architecture. Tsujii memorizes the pieces by listening to countless times recordings with comments about such details…

When learning a piece with few or no available recordings, Tsujii needs to have an acquaintance perform and record the piece first. This was what happened with the contemporary pieces commissioned by the Van Cliburn Foundation for performance in the semifinal round. Consequently, Tsujii had considerably less time than the other competitors to learn the piece. (As it happens, in addition to winning the gold medal in this year’s competition he also won the award for best performance of a new work.)"

From a November 18, 2009 magazine article that coined the term "Nobu Fever":

"Certainly, being blind hasn't made it easy. Tsujii can use Braille music scores to learn new pieces, but this kind of translation is usually done by volunteers. Because demand is so low, the variety of scores available does not meet the needs of a professional performer, so Tsujii has devised his own method. A team of pianists records scores along with specific codes and instructions written by composers, which Tsujii listens to and practices until he learns and perfects each piece. Yukio Yokoyama, Tsujii's current professor says, 'Usually people learn by observing how others use their fingers, their bodies and their breaths, but he can only touch and feel.'."

In this video "Miracle Pianist" there is a brief scene where a very young Nobuyuki (about age 11) is seen playing the piano with one hand touching a sheet music in Braille.

And this, from a 2011 interview that appeared in the Fresno Bee, a newspaper in California (http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/03/31/2332233/japanese-pianist-visits-fresno.html#ixzz1IRc9wJ72

"I ask my assistants to record the music to cassette tape by hand. One tape with right hand, and another with left hand. When they record it, they split the music into small sections such as several bars, and also record with verbal comments about markings and instructions by the composer.

I ask them to avoid recording with their own interpretation, to give me as precise view of the music as possible.

After memorizing these tapes, I combine both hands and start interpreting the music to make it my own.

Normally it takes one month to learn a large scale sonata or concerto, if I could concentrate on it."

In yet another interview that appeared in the Arizonal Republic, Nobuyuki said, of the cassette tapes, "I call these tapes 'music sheets for ears.' " -- http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/stage/articles/2011/04/14/20110414nobuyuki-tsujii-blind-piano-virtuoso-scottsdale-arts.html

It was Mr. Masahiro Kawakami, Nobu's  dedicated childhood teacher, who started recording music for little Nobu at 7 years old.  Mr. Kawakami did this for 12 years, and deserves much credit for Nobu's success. 

Q. How long does it take Nobuyuki Tsujii to learn to play a new work?

In a 2009 interview, he was asked "How long does it take you to memorize and digest a piano concerto?"  His answer was: "About a month.  But I will be playing all my regular repertoire too at the same time while learning a new concerto."

In another interview in 2010, it is reported that "(Nobuyuki Tsujii) said that he has committed more than 100 classical works to memory. 'A very short piece, I can learn in one to three days.  For something longer — a Chopin sonata — it takes about a week.'"

On a 2010 TV show in Japan, Nobuyuki said that he learned all the notes of "Pictures at an Exhibition" in a week (although it took him maybe a month or more to perfect it.)

Q. How do you pronounce "Nobuyuki Tsujii"?

Mr. Van Cliburn pronounced it perfectly at the 2009 Cliburn award ceremony.  It is NO-BOO-YOU-KEY  TZU-GEE.  Note that there is no need to insert a strong 'E' sound at the end.

Q: What is the nature of Nobuyuki's blindness?

From an interview with Japanese publication Mainichi Shimbun: "The pianist suffers from microphthalmia, which has left him completely blind since birth."

According to Wikipedia: microphthalmia is a developmental disorder of the eye that literally means small eye (micros = small; ophthalmos = eye).  The presence of a small eye within the orbit results in blindness. The incidence is 14 per 100,000 and the condition affects 3-11% of blind children.  The major causes for this disorder are genetic but environmental factors have also been implicated such as exposure to radiation, chemicals, or viruses.   From another source: "but research is not conclusive. Sometimes the cause in an individual patient cannot be determined."

"There is no treatment for severe  microphthalmia that will create a new eye or restore vision."

More Frequently Asked Questions‎ : HERE