As a pianist from Uzbekistan conquered New York with chic dresses
'22.03.2018'
Source: Sputnik Kyrgyzstan
In 26 years, Lola Astanova, a pianist originally from Tashkent, gave a solo concert in the grand hall of Carnegie Hall in New York. She is not only talented - she has attracted the attention of many fashion magazines for her stunning outfits and bright appearance.
In the interview Sputnik Lola, who constantly lives in the United States, spoke about her work and future plans.
- How long have you been doing music?
- My mother graduated from the conservatory, so the piano was always in my life. But seriously, I took up music when my mother brought me to Tamara Popovich’s studio. I was so small that I didn’t reach the pedals, and I had two huge phone books under my feet. And I was lucky to work with two musical geniuses: Mark Rusak and Lev Naumov, who was called the godfather of the Russian piano school.
- When did you move to the USA and why did you make this decision?
- It happened at the beginning of the two thousandth, the main motivation was a career. I am not the first person to go this way. I just wanted to go forward, and America opened up opportunities for me that were not found anywhere else. In the USA, of course, there are also many problems, but the common vector is always aimed at success. Everything depends only on you.
- Classical music is associated with a strict and restrained style of clothing. How did it occur to you to break this stereotype?
- Reading about Liszt and Chopin, you quickly realize that these were the stars of their time: free, passionate, real dandies. Therefore, it is strange that their music has become associated with something restrictive, sad and exuding the smell of naphthalene. However, this is not surprising, since classical music has been turned into a kind of “museum” run by people who strangled it and kept it “under glass”. For some reason, they live with the illusion that only they are given the right to speak on behalf of the greats, only they know how such music should be performed, and are “the standard of good taste”. Some people like it, but it has nothing to do with me. I am doing living art that has pulse, breathing, instincts, feelings and thoughts. I am not faced with the task of breaking stereotypes, I just do what I love the way I feel it. And I am glad that it touches and inspires many people.
- What is your future for classical music?
- Let's define what we mean by "classical music". If we are talking about conservative, academic, boring concerts, where the performer is required to be only a faceless “key-pusher”, then she has no future. But if we are talking about the classics as a source of inspiration and professional growth, as a human creativity, as an unlimited artistic choice, then it has a very bright future. And I hope that my new work will be able to highlight this.
- What character traits have helped you succeed?
- I think my most valuable quality is the ability to concentrate on the important and bring everything to the end. Perhaps this is the key to success in any business.
- What are the most unusual awards you received?
- I do not know which of them can be called unusual. Once after the concert I was presented with a chocolate cake in the form of a grand piano, which, of course, was both sweet and unusual (laughs). The most recent award was a television award. Emmywhich the film received with my performance “Rhapsody in Blue”Gershwin.
- What do you like besides music? Do you have any hobbies?
- I am fond of visage, always do my own makeup. Watching fashion with interest. Fashion designers are among the greatest artists of our time, and fashion, no doubt, is a huge part of culture.
- Many people admire you not only as a musician, but also as a beautiful girl ...
- The performance of any artist is a combination of factors, and each viewer concentrates on what interests him the most. Someone listens to music, someone looks at the outfits, and for someone the concert is just “going out”. This does not bother me in any way, but those who explain their interest in me exclusively by my appearance can be disappointed. Social media is full of all kinds of “female forms”, and their connoisseurs don't need a piano at all. In addition, about half of my audience are girls who hardly care about my beauty. Finally, the vast majority of comments and emails I receive are solely about music.
- What projects are you working on and what can viewers expect from you in the near future?
- The coming year promises to be very interesting. Firstly, there will be a documentary film “Journey to the Theater of Silence” about my unique concert with Andrea Bocelli. The director of the film, Alina Dianova-Siciliano, was able to make it not only informative, but also visually exciting. Secondly, I and Stepan Hauser from 2CELLOS are preparing duet recordings and a concert program, which will probably break a few more stereotypes about classical music performers (laughs). Finally, my original compositions will be released - I hope they will appeal to loyal fans and win many new hearts.
