13th Van Cliburn Competition: Gold Medal

Every four years, the Van Cliburn Competition offers the opportunity for a select group of outstanding young musicians to showcase their talent while challenging themselves to reach new standards of artistic excellence. 20-year old Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii claimed the Gold Medal. Tsujii was already known in his home country for his refined and effortless playing, but a webcast of his spellbinding performances brought him to the attention of new fans throughout the world and raised his status in Japan to superstar. When advance CD sales in Japan exploded to more than 90,000, Harmonia Mundi realized it was directly involved with what the Japanese are now calling 'Nobu Fever.'