A Tribute To Horowitz: Lola Astanova, Piano Debut

Jan. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- This special evening is a benefit for the American Cancer Society. The gala chairman is Donald Trump. Julie Andrews will appear as the special guest artist host to introduce Ms. Astanova on stage. The Stonewall chorale will also perform.

The event is being executive produced by Misha Levintas and sponsored by Tiffany & Co. Tickets for $100 – 20 are available at the Carnegie Hall Box office, Carnegie Charge 212-247-7800, www.carnegiehall.org. Further information at www.lolaastanova.com

As one might imagine, for a young piano virtuoso from Russia, now a U.S. citizen residing in Manhattan, this evening is an astounding milestone in Ms. Astanova’s career. Lola is a mashup of a classically trained piano virtuoso and a modern musician who uses her 2.5 million You Tube views and Twitter to reach her fans.

Lola Astanova, a Steinway artist, will perform on a piano that is, without question, the most famous piano in the world - the legendary Horowitz Steinway. It was built in 1941 and Vladimir Horowitz acquired it on May 27, 1943. This piano traveled with Horowitz all over the globe, including his legendary "Return to Russia" concerts in Moscow and Leningrad in 1986. Horowitz also played it at the White House for President Ronald Reagan. The piano has a serial number CD503 (very famous in the piano world).
Franz Mohr was Horowitz's piano technician for years and in his book, he wrote about how Horowitz famously refused to play concerts unless Franz was preparing his piano. Franz Mohr will prepare the piano for Lola's concert on January 19th...and will attend the show as Ms. Astanova's special guest.

Coincidentally, Lola's tribute to Horowitz, one of her music heroes and inspirations, falls on the anniversary of the 84th anniversary year of Horovitz's own Carnegie Hall debut. Lola says playing his piano on the main stage of Carnegie Hall will be understandably, “A very special and emotional experience.”

Born in Tashkent in the former USSR, Lola’s music career began at the age of six. By twelve she achieved international acclaim and was featured in a UNESCO documentary Prodigies of the 20th Century. But her young career came to a halt when, confronted with bureaucratic barriers, Lola was precluded from performing for two years. Fighting to break free, Ms. Astanova moved to America and, relying on new media to communicate with her fans, began to redefine what it means to be a modern-day virtuoso.

Her American break came in 2007, when Lola garnered unprecedented attention as the star of a $1.6 million Neiman Marcus’ Classical Superstars Fantasy Concert, alongside Valery Gergiev and Regis Philbin. Today Lola’s online videos are among the most watched virtuoso performances in the world, and her original arrangements are attempted by pianists all over the globe. Passionate and fearless, Ms. Astanova has always used her talent and influence to support important social causes.
A performer whose style harkens back to old masters, Ms. Astanova possesses an artistry so rarely seen today that her concerts are truly singular experiences not to be missed.

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