“… An’ I am in Texas until the 13th, call me…what’s up?” It was a message from Lilya Zilberstein, who is currently teaching and performing at Texas Christian University International Piano Academy and Festival in Fort Worth. In 1984, I became a student of piano performance and pedagogy at the prestigious Gnessin’s State Musical College in Moscow, It was an exciting time to be there because we were among the best pianists in the country. All of us were trying to break into the larger performing arts world. We practiced 4-6 hours a day and, of course, partied like you would expect kids in our early twenties to do. A few years...
