Minoru NOJIMA, Piano : Kajimoto Concert Management Co., Ltd.

Piano

Minoru NOJIMA

Minoru NOJIMA, Piano

One of Japan's most internationally respected pianists, Minoru Nojima began piano lessons at the age of three under renowned pedagogue Aiko Iguchi and at ten years old made his debut with the NHK Symphony Orchestra. He went on to study at Toho High School and, whilst still a student at the prestigious Toho Gakuen School of Music, performed in subscription concerts with the Tokyo Philharmonic and Japan Philharmonic. Mr. Nojima was invited by the then Soviet Cultural Affairs Ministry to study at the Moscow Conservatory of Music between 1966 and 1968 under the tutelage of Lev Oborin, during which time he performed numerous recitals in Moscow, Leningrad and elsewhere in the Soviet Union. After success in several competitions, in 1969, he walked away with second prize in the 3rd Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Mr. Nojima's career went from strength to strength and, the following year, he earned effusive praise from the New York Times for his debut recital at Carnegie Hall. Since then, from his bases both in New York and Tokyo, he has maintained an active schedule of recitals, orchestra engagements, and chamber music performances throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

In Japan, he has continued to perform with Japan's major orchestras, including frequent appearances with the New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Kyushu Symphony and Gunma Symphony in domestic subscription performances and as a soloist on overseas tours, as well as collaborating with orchestras and conductors such as the Montreal Symphony and Charles Dutoit. He has recently completed a highly acclaimed Mozart Cycle in which he is performed Mozart piano concerti over a span of three years, in collaboration with the Sendai Phiharmonic and Maestro Yuzo Toyama.

Receiving similar recognition for his solo recitals, Mr. Nojima's Suntory Hall recital, featuring works by Ravel was hailed by major Tokyo newspapers as being "...the best performance heard in years..." and Nojima was praised as having "a miraculous technique, his musicianship is polished to the extreme."

Minoru Nojima performs a wide range of works by Japanese artists to audiences nationwide and overseas, including special performances of contemporary composer Teizo Matsumura's 2nd Concerto for Piano in Moscow and for the opening of the 3rd Leningrad International Music Festival, receiving high praise at both venues. Similarly, his performances of the same piece with the BBC Orchestra in London quickly became the talk of the musical community and were lavishly praised on all sides.

Mr. Nojima has released recordings of music by Ravel, Liszt, Brahms and Schumann. His 1988 recording Minoru Nojima Plays Liszt quickly became a reference work, about which Stereo Review magazine said, "...a stunning demonstration of technique put at the service of profoundly musical ends..." For his 1990 recording entitled, Minoru Nojima Plays Ravel, this artist was praised by Record Geijutsu magazine as, "undoubtedly one of the world's foremost players of Ravel."

With a strong interest in furthering the careers of others, Minoru Nojima has served several times as an adjudicator for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and is chairperson for the Sendai International Music Competition.