Accessible Arts / arts + disability NSW

Tsujii, who began studying the piano at the age of four, is currently a third-year student at the Ueno Gakuen College of Music in Tokyo. He learns to play musical works by listening to others, either live or on a recording. He memorizes the notes, then hones and re-hones his own take, muscular or delicate, depending on the music.

Tsujii claims his blindness has not limited his playing opportunities and he doesn't want to be known as the pianist who cannot see. He has played with leading symphony orchestras, including those in Tokyo, Berlin and Paris. When playing with ensembles led by conductors, Tsujii works out the piece with the maestro in rehearsal and his blindness is not an obstacle. He knows the musical cues and takes direction from the conductor's breathing.

The 17-day-long Van Cliburn, held once every four years in Fort Worth, Texas, is recognized as one of the four most important piano competitions in the world. Tsujii's fifty-minute recital at the finals received a five-minute standing ovation. The video of his performance, archived on the Cliburn's website, was the most viewed of any performer's so far in the competition, and was requested 1,673 times shortly after the competition, about 500 more than the next most requested performance.

Tsujii told an interviewer that meeting legendary R&B singer Stevie Wonder had been the happiest moment of his life until now. Winning at the Cliburn "is now the happiest moment", he added.

"I was happy to have performed well after having practiced a long time and when I heard the shouts from the audience of 'Bravo!' and 'Bravo!' it was the most amazing experience of my life."

View Nobuyuki Tsujii's official website.