Interview with blind pianist Takeyuki Hashimoto: his life story and future prospects

Despite being blind, Takeshi Kakehashi won second place at the 1998 Long-Thibaud International Piano Competition. He is a pianist with a brilliant career, including winning the Warsaw Mayor's Prize at the 14th International Chopin Piano Competition. When he was one month old, he had his right eye removed due to retinoblastoma, and later his left eye was also removed. After six years at a public elementary school, he went on to study at the preparatory department of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in Austria. He currently performs frequently within Kanagawa Prefecture, including appearing in the "Classic Yokohama Ikiru ~2024 Concert to Support Young Lives." We asked him about his 26 years with his mentor, his activities so far, and his future goals.

He became blind shortly after birth and studied in Vienna as a junior high school student.

-I read your book "Always the Light in Me." It's an autobiography that describes your journey from childhood to around age 25. Your father was a former viola player in the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and your mother was a vocalist who taught you piano and singing at home. Since you showed a strong interest in music from an early age and showed signs of talent, your mother wanted you to go to a regular elementary school.

Mr. Hashimoto: At the time, the only option for blind children was to go to a school for the blind, but my mother thought it was important for them to have the opportunity to learn together with normal children and experience nature. My mother talked with the school and the Board of Education, and supporters collected signatures. After I entered a normal elementary school, a braille volunteer translated my textbooks into braille so that I could understand by touch, and my family made illustrations for the textbooks out of cloth. I was able to learn thanks to the cooperation of many people.

-I heard you also tried out dodgeball and the monkey bars. Were you not scared?

Hashi-san was scary. Especially the monkey bars, because if your hands come off the bars you fall to the ground, it's still scary when I think about it. The sound of the ball flying or hitting something still scares me. If it hits your face you'll get a nosebleed.

- So you learned everything by throwing yourself into it. After graduating from elementary school, you went to Vienna to study abroad.

Mr. Hashimoto : Yes. I wanted to go to a junior high school attached to a music university in Japan, but I was denied the entrance exam. So I decided to take the entrance exam for the preparatory course at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, which allows blind people to enter if they excel in music.

--The official language of Austria is German, so it must have been a difficult decision.

Mr. Kakehashi : The policy of the Kakehashi family was to just try, even if we faced big obstacles, even if we failed, and to try. There are many doors in society that are closed to people with disabilities. When you hit an obstacle, you grow and the people around you may change. There is an Okinawan saying, "Nankurunaisa." Like that saying, I thought that if I keep trying, someday the way will open up, and I somehow managed to overcome it.

The secret behind the transparent tone

- I always feel like my soul is cleansed by your delicate touch and clear sound. In your book, you said that you especially valued the piano playing of your mentor, Professor Elisabeth Dvorak-Weishaar, saying that her sound was elegant. Is this because you have inherited that tone?

I would be happy if Mr. Hashimoto could take over the tradition. His teaching is abstract, and he says, "I think this way of playing is musical, so give it a try." I try, but it's difficult and I can't do it on the spot. Sometimes I can do it after practicing at home, and sometimes I realize what it was like years later. Also, the teacher doesn't nod right away, but patiently works through it until a good sound comes out. He has an extraordinary commitment to sound, and this attitude encourages the growth of his students.

--I saw your photo and you are a beautiful woman. You seem strict, but you say that saying "not bad" to your performance is a compliment.

Mr. Hashimoto is a very human and charming person, honest and frank, with a fluctuating sense of emotion. If I were to compare him to a plant, he would be as flexible as a willow, with a firm trunk, but his heart is as delicate as a leaf swaying in the wind. I once had a fierce argument with the teacher, but the sound I want to produce is still the teacher's tone. His sound is precise and elegant, and is delicate yet strong and positively flexible, and I think it is wonderful.

--Mr. Hashimoto, you can't see, so it must have been difficult for you to master touch.

Mr. Hashimoto: Every pianist has a hard time polishing their touch, but I have also been working hard to improve my touch, step by step. My mother observed my teacher's posture and muscle usage, and told me what she learned, and we would try it out.

--Your teacher wants you to play in a musical way. What does that mean specifically?

Mr. Kashiwagi: To perform, it is important to have an open mind, but it is also important to have a closed mind. In other words, you have to be someone who can open your heart to the outside world and interact with others, and depending on the situation, it is also important to have a sense of loneliness that makes you sink into the depths of your dark heart. As you often said, "art is something that cannot be explained," and it is difficult to express.

- Speaking of an open mind, I often see you going out to the lobby after your concerts and shaking hands with your fans. Do you always do that?

Hashimoto : Yes. I like talking to people, and more than anything, I do it because it makes my fans happy. If I can make people happy and heal their hearts with music, which is the only thing I'm good at, then nothing makes me happier.

What he wants to convey to the next generation and his future performances

-You are currently mainly based in Japan, but are you studying under anyone?

Hashimoto: I practice on my own, remembering all the teachings I've received so far. When I want to learn a new piece, I listen to it on YouTube, and I ask my father, a viola player, for help in reading the music. My father can't play the piano, so he plays it for me, one hand at a time. My father always makes an effort and cooperates with me. When I was young, I had a good sense for music and a good memory, and I could play and remember a piece after hearing it a few times, and I could remember it even after years had passed after playing it once, but now I'm in my late 40s. Unfortunately, I feel that my memory is declining, and I'm having a hard time.

-You are also involved in activities to promote music to the younger generation. Are you also active within Kanagawa Prefecture?

Yes, Mr. Hashimoto . I also feel that it is important to pass on music to the next generation. One of these is "Classics for Children," where we hold concerts at elementary schools around the country. In 2024, we held the concert at Higashihongo Elementary School in Midori Ward, Yokohama. We do this with the hope that people will feel closer to music and that it will help them find light and joy even in difficult times. For example, even if a person is in despair, listening to music can help them escape from their problems for even a moment. And if they approach it again with a new attitude, they may be able to overcome that difficult situation.

I also teach young people. It is important for the students to have a good musical sense, but I want to teach them everything I can.

-What kind of activities would you like to do in the future?

As I 've gotten older, I want to play more solemn pieces, more Bach pieces that make me feel like I'm in heaven. I'd also like to accompany German lieder.

-What is German Lied?

Mr. Hashi: It's a German song with German lyrics. Opera is performed by an orchestra, but German lieds are performed by just a piano and singer. The lyrics expand the world of performance, which is interesting, so I'd like to try it someday.

-Thank you very much. I look forward to your future activities.

Takeshi Hashi
Official website: here
Official website for classical music for children: here