I just booked two tickets to see Murray Perahia at the University of Washington's Meany Hall in October! I am so excited to see this piano "great" after having listened to his recordings for many years. My dad, fellow pianist and classical music enthusiast, will be joining me. Unfortunately for us, we will be sitting near the back; however, the recital hall has an intimate feel and will be featuring a close-up look at all the pianists in the series via a screen mounted above the stage! A couple other pianists I hope to see this year:
Simone Dinnerstein, busy wife and mom who also manages an active performing career! In addition to recording with Sony and touring, she has launched a concert series at her son's school that features classical musicians and raises funds for the PTA. But I digress. According to her website, "The New York-based pianist gained an international following because of the remarkable success of her recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, which she raised the funds to record. Released in 2007 on Telarc, it ranked No. 1 on the US Billboard Classical Chart in its first week of sales and was named to many "Best of 2007" lists including those of The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The New Yorker." She will be performing at the UW in January. (Don't miss her website, which highlights her many accomplishments and offers free downloads of some of her music!)
Lara Downes is another woman I would like to see this fall. She performs a lot of American music and comes up with really innovative programs. I love her "think out of the classical music box" mentality and the vibrance she is bringing to the classical music world. She will be performing at the UW in December. Her website also offers free downloads of her music!