ArmInfo. The 20th anniversary international music festival "Yerevan Prospects" will be marked by a concert by the blind, outstanding Japanese pianist and composer Nobuyuki Tsujii, who received a gold medal at the International Piano Competition named after Van Cliburn in Texas in 2009.
The concert will take place on September 6 at 7:30pm in the Concert Hall named after Aram Khachaturian, during which the pianist will perform works by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Frederic Chopin. ''I am glad to be in Armenia. Frankly, when I received the invitation I knew nothing about your country. But upon arrival, I felt that the city was wonderful, people are very warm and freindly, wonderful feelings overwhelm me, and I want to express my gratitude to you by presenting good music at the concert'', the pianist said during a September 5 press conference. For the Yerevan concert, the musician chose the works of French composers, since the music of French classics is the closest for him. Continuing what was said, he emphasized that, of course, Frederic Chopin was not a Frenchman, but he lived there for many years. "I really want to give all my strength at every concert, and even to those who don't listen to classical music to show what classical music really is, to discover its beauty for everyone," the musician said. Remembering his way on becoming a pianist, Nobuyuki Tsujii said that he began playing the piano from the age of 4. And it all started with a toy piano on which his mother played for him. "At first, I just played, and then, listening to music, I began to play myself and fell in love with the music," he said. It is noteworthy that today Nobuyuki Tsujii does not study works by notes printed in Braille, but reproduces them after listening. Once an American pianist Van Cliburn said about Nobuyuki Tsujii's performance: "His performance has a health-promoting effect there is something divine in it". Russian conductor Valery Gergiev noted that Nobuyuki Tsujii is not only a great musician and star, but also proof that human capabilities have no limits. It should be noted that the music festival "Yerevan Prospects" is held with the support of the "My Step" Charitable Foundation.