Simone Dinnerstein

Simone Dinnerstein is an American classical pianist, born in New York City, USA. Her father, Simon Dinnerstein [simonedinnerstein.com [http://www.simondinnerstein.com] ] , is a painter. A former piano teacher, she resides in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, New York, [Jayson Greene Emusic.com review [http://www.emusic.com/album/Simone-Dinnerstein-The-Berlin-Concert-MP3-Download/11271229.html] ] with her husband, Jeremy Greensmith, and their son, Adrian.

Dinnerstein has become celebrated, both critically and commercially, for her self-financed recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Goldberg Variations". [Review by John Schaefer, Emusic.com [http://www.emusic.com/album/Simone-Dinnerstein-J-S-Bach-Goldberg-Variations-MP3-Download/11117599.html] 6 OCT 2008] [Amazon.com Page "Bach: Goldberg Variations" [http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Goldberg-Variations/dp/B000SQJ2X2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223361357&sr=1-1] 6 OCT 2008]

She studied in the precollege program at the Manhattan School of Music with Solomon Mikowsky.cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/arts/music/28simo.html | title=How Do You Move a Career Into High Gear? By Breaking the Rules | publisher="New York Times" | author=Anne Midgette | date=28 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-08] She later attended The Juilliard School of Music and was a student of Peter Serkin. [cite news | url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/weekend/20070316_Abundant_Bach.html | title=Back-to-back Bach | publisher="Philadelphia Inquirer" | author=Robert Strauss | date=16 March 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-08] She also studied in London with Maria Curcio.

She was not a complete unknown before the release of [http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Goldberg-Variations/dp/B000SQJ2X2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223361357&sr=1-1 "Bach: Goldberg Variations"] , having, for example, attracted critical notice for her version of a nocturne piece based Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight. When the Telarc label (Telarc CD-80692) released the recording, her career was "launched into the stratosphere" with the album outselling The White Stripes on Amazon.com. [Jayson Greene Emusic.com review [http://www.emusic.com/album/Simone-Dinnerstein-The-Berlin-Concert-MP3-Download/11271229.html] ] [cite news | url=http://www.slate.com/id/2172856/ | title=The Goldberg Variations Made New | publisher="Slate" | author=Evan Eisenberg | date=27 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-08] , In its first week of commercial release, the recording was at #1 on the "Billboard" classical music CD sales chart. [cite news | url=http://www.slate.com/id/2172856/ | title=Simone Dinnerstein's Acclaimed New Goldbergs Land at No. 1 on Billboard Classical Chart | publisher="Playbill Arts" | author=Matthew Westphal | date=7 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-08] The album would The disc appeared on a number of “Best of 2007” lists, including those of "The New York Times," "The Los Angeles Times", "The New Yorker", "Time Out New York", several radio stations, iTunes “Editor’s Choice Best Classical,” Amazon.com Best CDs of 2007, and Barnes & Noble's Top 5 Debut CDs of 2007. Her previous commercially released recording was with the cellist Zuill Bailey of the chamber music for cello and piano of Ludwig van Beethoven, for the Delos label (DE 3368).

To follow up on the success of the Goldberg Variations recording, Dinnerstein recorded a recital live at the Berlin Philharmonie, on Nov. 22, 2007. The program included Aaron Copland's "Piano Variations," and Anton Webern's “Variations" - neither of which was to be included on the concert CD. She then focused on three Bach-related works to be included on the CD, Bach's French Suites No. 5 in G (BMV 816); the premiere recording of "Twelve Variations on a Chorale by J. S. Bach" by the American composer Philip Lasser (b. 1963), and the Piano Sonata no. 32, op. 111, by Beethoven (with a first movement that makes extensive use of fugal textures reminiscent of Bach)Fact|date=October 2008. The recording was released by Telarc on August 26, 2008 [Amazon.com page for "The Berlin Concert" [http://www.amazon.com/The-Berlin-Concert/dp/B0019MFY7W/ref=pd_sim_m_1] ] . The disc received some criticism, with one critic calling portions of the recital "scattered and marred by occasional memory lapses...." [Jayson Green Review at Emusic.com [http://www.emusic.com/album/Simone-Dinnerstein-The-Berlin-Concert-MP3-Download/11271229.html] ]

In addition to her solo recital work [cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/22/arts/music/22simo.html?ex=1189396800&en=b90d028aabaa1e7f&ei=5070 | title=Covering Copland to Beethoven, by Way of Bach and Schumann | publisher="New York Times" | author=Allan Kozinn | date=22 November 2006 | accessdate=2007-09-08] , she has been a featured guest artist at the Bard Music Festival. [cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/16/arts/music/16bard.html?ex=1189396800&en=09f0a088d4fe9c1c&ei=5070 | title=American Music Thrives Not on Copland Alone | publisher="New York Times" | author=Anne Midgette | date=16 August 2005 | accessdate=2007-09-08] [cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/arts/music/24bard.html?ei=5070&en=21f47fb252b639ac&ex=1189396800&pagewanted=all | title=Fanfare for Copland, Who Wasn't Always a Common Man | publisher="New York Times" | author=Jeremy Eichler | date=24 August 2005 | accessdate=2007-09-08] [cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/arts/music/14edwa.html?ex=1189396800&en=e026736fb992cb8f&ei=5070 | title=Reputation Isn’t Fixed. Sometimes You Hear It Grow | publisher="New York Times" | author=Anthony Tommasini | date=14 August 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-08] In addition, she has appeared as a chamber musician in performances of contemporary music, including works of Yehudi Wyner [cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04EEDC143CF93AA35751C1A961958260 | title=New Horn Trio Receives Premieres in Eight Places
publisher="New York Times" | author=Allan Kozinn | date=9 December 1997 | accessdate=2007-09-08] and Ned Rorem [cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9404E1DE143DF933A15751C0A96F958260 | title=For Rorem, a Concert With Overtones of Mourning | publisher="New York Times" | author=Anthony Tommasini | date=20 February 1999 | accessdate=2007-09-08] .

Dinnerstein has toured as piano soloist with the Dresden Philharmonic and Czech Philharmonic. For the 2008-09 season, she is scheduled to appear with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New York City's Orchestra of St. Luke's, and the Absolute Ensemble.

References

External links

* [http://www.simonedinnerstein.com/ Simone Dinnerstein's official website]
* [http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=773 Biography from IMG Artists]
* [http://www.telarc.com/biography/bios.asp?aid=203&gsku=0692&mscssid=NG7366RM5VKM9GETBVK28CN7TMVJ4SG9 Telarc biography of Simone Dinnerstein]
* [http://www.emusic.com/artist/Simone-Dinnerstein-MP3-Download/11893497.html Emusic Page]