Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic history, whose musical traditions are as varied, rich and vibrant as the land and people who gave them life.  Out of this diverse ethnic milieu comes Aza Sydykov, possibly the country’s most gifted and successful classical pianist to date, whose fate was intertwined with the establishment of his homeland’s independence.  While Kyrgyzstan was for...

Ilona Oltuski, founder of getclassical.org, recreated the magic of the 19th century salon concerts in a somewhat updated version the other night at the elegant India House.  Monday's performance featured three multi-talented world-class performers - pianist and visual artist, Roman Rabinovich whose paintings adorned the stage, pianist and composer, Michael Brown and cellist and film maker, Nick Canellakis.  

It is very rare...

5 years ago I received an email inviting me to be a musical director for the Natchez Festival of Music for their educational outreach program.  Growing up in North Carolina and having lived almost half my life in New York City I had never heard of the town or the festival before except through a couple of fellow musicians who had also worked there.  When asking people to describe the place I always encountered a loss for an ad...

To say that Franz Liszt was one of the first rock stars is perhaps a bit simplistic, but it seems like the one of best modern descriptions. It’s a testament to the sheer magnitude of hype surrounding this 19th century giant that the term Lisztomania came into existence simply to describe it. The word was first used by the poet Heinrich Heine after Liszt’s debut in Berlin where, upon his exit, he was escorted from the city in a...