Tsujii Nobuyuki has become the first Japanese pianist to sign an exclusive contract with the world's oldest classical music label, Deutsche Grammophon, in Germany.
Born with a visual impairment, Tsujii won an international piano competition at the age of 20. Since then, he has performed in Japan and overseas.
Tsujii announced the deal with Deutsche Grammophon at a news conference in Tokyo on Monday, when he performed Franz Liszt's La Campanella and another piece.
Deutsche Grammophon was founded in 1898. Artists including conductors such as Herbert von Karajan and Ozawa Seiji signed contracts with the label.
Tsujii told reporters that he has been listening to the performances of world-class artists on the label's CDs since he was a child.
He also said the contract will help achieve his dream of becoming a performer on the global stage, adding that he wants his debut CD with the German label to go down in history.
Tsujii will record his debut album of Beethoven's works in Germany in July, which is to be released next year.
Now at 35 years of age, Tsujii said his 30s will be a make-or-break period. He said he wants to raise his profile and convince people who are not interested in classical music to come to his concerts.