Nobuyuki Tsujii Plays Chopin

Chopin’s First Piano Concerto demands not just outstanding technique but also sincere emotional expression from its soloist. Nobu, who has been blind from birth and relies on intense, incredibly detailed listening to learn and perform, has both in spades. The evening opens with the trumpet fanfares of Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien, composed in Rome and full of local colour. And to complete this captivating programme, the Philharmonia’s Principal Conductor Santtu has chosen Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. Everyone on the stage has their moment in the spotlight in this work fizzing with imagination. It’s hard to believe Bartók was in hospital in the early stages of his final illness when he accepted this commission, his music is so full of energy and life.