Simone Dinnerstein to appear in Auburn

When the first chord of the Adams Foundation piano Series resonated in Auburn, NY, Simone Dinnerstein was fairly unknown outside her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. That much has changed since October, 2001. In the ensuing 7 1/2 years the Juilliard graduate has become a mother, seen her two CDs enjoy unimagined success and adjusted to a calendar of concert dates throughout the world. Next week, between dates on the world stages of Sand Diego, California and Rome, Italy, she will perform at the intimate Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn. Concert time is 3:00 pm Sunday, April 19.The daughter of painter Simon Dinnerstein, Simone began studying piano at age seven. Her musical development is portrayed in a number of her father’s paintings, many appearing on her web site: www.simonedinnerstein.com. As a young artist in her 20s, she taught piano and performed a range of venues from Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center to a state prison in Louisiana. In spite of lacking management, major awards, or recording contracts, Ms. Dinnerstein remained committed to her art. When she became pregnant in 2001 she embarked on the learning of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, “a monument of keyboard music”.In summer of 2004 Ms. Dinnerstein decided to record Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Supported with funding from her friends, it was recorded in spring 2005, generating a demand for her to perform it live. She made her New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2005 and began sending out copies of her self produced CD. When Telarc released The Goldberg Variations in 2007, her career took off. The cd hit the number one spot on the Billboard Classical Chart during its first week of sales and received rave reviews. In November, 2007 she performed with the Berlin Philharmonic and recorded her second CD, The Berlin Concert, released in August 2008.Last year Ms. Dinnerstein performed on the People’s Symphony series at Town Hall and for the Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series in New York. She recently performed at Washington’s Kennedy Center and at her third recital at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In July 2009, she will make her debut with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.Ms. Dinnerstein will perform compositions by Franz Schubert, Johann Sebastian Bach, Anton Webern and Robert Schumann on April 19 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 17 William St., Auburn. A limited number of tickets remain at $15 and $5 for students. For information, call 315-253-3331 or visit www.westminsterauburn.org.Simone Dinnerstein in concert is presented by the Adams Foundation Piano Series, dedicated to bringing world class American pianists to small cities throughout the United States. The Cayuga County Arts Council and Westminster Presbyterian Church host the event.