Interview in Dallas, 2009

as appeared here: http://www.steinwaypianos.com/news/InterviewwithCliburnWinnerNobuyukiTsujii-465

Nobuyuki Tsujii, the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medalist, visited Dallas-Fort Worth and played a wonderful concert at Bass Hall on September 22, 2009 and at the Latino Cultural Center on September 24, 2009. The following is the interview I did of Nobuyuki at the Latino Cultural Center, where he played the new Steinway B that the Center has acquired through the Orchestra of New Spain, in front of 250 excited Dallas Independent School District children and did a Q & A session with them.

A Japanese translator facilitated the interview, and unless noted, Nobuyuki answered all of my questions in Japanese.

His beautiful Chopin and his signature bright smiles melted everyone’s heart including the organizers, volunteers and parents.

Yoori: Your favorite composer?

Nobu: Debussy, Chopin and Beethoven. Chopin and Beethoven are very close to me at heart.

Y: How do you learn music when you cannot see?

N: I learn from braille, but also my teacher plays for me and records hands separately (HS) for me. I listen to the recordings and play it slowly HS and memorize HS.

Y: How long does it take you to memorize and digest a piano concerto?

N: About a month. But I will be playing all my regular repertoire too at the same time while learning a new concerto.

Y: How do you follow the conductor when you play with an orchestra?

N: I listen to the breathing of the conductor.

Y: You chose to play on the Steinway Concert D provided by Steinway Hall - Dallas at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Conpetition this summer. What did you think about the piano?

N: I love that Steinway Concert D. It let me do everything I wanted to do on a piano. I am able to express myself completely through a Steinway piano.

Y: You play so beautifully, the lyrical melodies of Chopin for example. How do you practice your techniques?

N: I don’t do anything special.

Y: Czerny, Etudes, Hanon, scales, arpeggios?

N: Yes I do those of course, but nothing special. I listen to what my teacher tells me to do and I just play them.

Y: Do you have an IPod, and could you tell me what is on your IPod?

N: (smiling) Yes, I have an IPod, and I have all different kinds of music. A lot of classical. A lot of Chopin and Debussy.

Y: How do you manage to practice when you are traveling?

N: I will practice whenever I can, if I can find a piano. I sometimes perform without having practiced because I won’t have access to a piano until the concert. It is okay to do it sometimes because I feel the piece stays fresh.

Y: Do students in Japan study piano and are their lessons during school or after school as an extracurricular activity?

N: So many young Japanese students take piano lessons, and piano is an extracurricular activity for children in Japan.

Y: Have you written an original composition? What inspires you to compose?

N: Yes, I composed quite a bit when I was in high school. When I go walking in the woods and hiking, I listen to the sound of the running waters in the stream, the wind blowing through the leaves and the trees, and the birds. I love nature, and the sounds of the nature inspire me to write. (Nobu played his own piece of composition at the end of the concert as an encore that day.)

Y: Do you play any other musical instruments?

N: I tried violin, I loved it, but I wasn’t very good.

Y: What encouraging words would you like to give to the children of Dallas?

N: Practice a lot, and enjoy your life as much as you can. I like to hike, ski and be close to nature. Have fun doing things that make you really happy when you are not practicing your music.

Y: What is your favorite Japanese food?

N: (he said this in English) “I like sushi.”

Y: Thank you for playing at the Bass Hall in Fort Worth two days ago. I’ve had so many friends tell me that they were so moved by your Beethoven. Thank you for playing today for the DISD children and sharing your love of music. It was beautiful. You inspired all of us.