Dear friend
This Monday, I would like to again look ahead to the Dranoff2 February 10 concert.
Both artists met at the conservatory in Moscow. Independently from each other they moved to the US, with Ilya locating in Boston and Asiya coming to the Frost School of Music in Miami. She is now living in Boston as well.
At a life celebration for the beloved arts patron Marvin Leibowitz, the acclaimed pianist and Frost School of Music professor Kevin Kenner performed a duo concert with Asiya. This gave rise to the idea to approach her with the idea of creating a duo piano concert for the Dranoff2. An idea that sparked the creation of Duo 88x20 whose brilliant artistry we look forward to enjoy on stage at the Aventura Cultural Center next month.
This brings to mind what has been the DNA of the Dranoff2. Its beginnings were an international competition for piano duos. Its history is the encouragement and nurture of piano duos. It is replete with stories of duos formed and music written encouraging solo artists to expand their interest in duo literature into lives dedicated to this form of chamber music.
At the bottom of this letter, please find a podcast by the Honens Piano Festival and Competition where Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann talk about their becoming and being the Piano Duo Bergmann. I hope you’ll enjoy this conversation as an extra lagniappe.
Have a wonderful week.
Warmly,
Gabriele Fiorentino
President,
The Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation
Piano Slam
