I have made a new friend over the last few months who is a hi-fi buff, but unfortunately only does digital. He also was trained as classical concert pianist, but found, after getting a PhD in musicology from Stanford, that he couldn't make a living at it. He went back for training in computer sciences at the local community college and worked for over 20 years at Bank of America in their corporate IT department. Now retired, he still plays professionally, mostly accompanying for teachers and their students and other professionals.
He was Jon Nakamatsu's accompanist for 35 years from when Jon was 9 years old through his winning the Cliburn competition and well beyond (playing the second piano orchestra part for the concertos that Jon played over the years to prepare for the orchestra concerts).
Here is the neat story. 25 years ago, he was working as an accompanist in the Palo Alto area. He was the regular accompanist for a Palo Alto voice teacher, and would play the piano for all the student recitals that the teacher had. One day a woman about 50 year old walked into the teacher's studio (my friend was not there at the time, but later accompanied her in several student recitals). She asked whether she could take voice lessons. The teacher asked her what she wanted to accomplish. She said she was a singer and was started to lose her high notes and wanted regain them. He said he thought he could help her. He asked her what her name was. She said "Joan." He asked "How do you spell your last name?" She said "B-A-E-Z."
Larry
He was Jon Nakamatsu's accompanist for 35 years from when Jon was 9 years old through his winning the Cliburn competition and well beyond (playing the second piano orchestra part for the concertos that Jon played over the years to prepare for the orchestra concerts).
Here is the neat story. 25 years ago, he was working as an accompanist in the Palo Alto area. He was the regular accompanist for a Palo Alto voice teacher, and would play the piano for all the student recitals that the teacher had. One day a woman about 50 year old walked into the teacher's studio (my friend was not there at the time, but later accompanied her in several student recitals). She asked whether she could take voice lessons. The teacher asked her what she wanted to accomplish. She said she was a singer and was started to lose her high notes and wanted regain them. He said he thought he could help her. He asked her what her name was. She said "Joan." He asked "How do you spell your last name?" She said "B-A-E-Z."
Larry
