My friend Katya performed the first of three piano recitals in her Ph.D. program on Nov. 24 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. As someone who's memorized maybe two classical piano pieces in my whole life, and who is paralyzed at the thought of performing at length from memory, I have the utmost respect for musicians like her.
During the 1 1/2 hour program, Katya, who's from St. Petersburg, performed the works of Russian composers including Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky, both as a soloist and accompanying a vocalist. She was a consummate professional.
When it was all over, Katya seemed to be in a bit of a daze, and was starving. I can only imagine the immense stress of months of preparation and the pressure of a long, high-stakes solo performance. Afterward, her musician friends and I went out to Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe to get kebabs and unwind.
Na zdorovie (cheers) -- a job well done, Katya!
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| UNLV music students and me celebrating at Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe after Katya's recital. |
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