Simone Dinnerstein is known for her intelligent, emotive performances on piano among a growing circle of classical music enthusiasts. But her audience is about grow even wider.
Dinnerstein has just signed a deal with a major record label, Sony Classical, that should give the stunning artist a chance to broaden her fan base exponentially.
The remarkable success of her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, which she raised the funds to record, catapulted her to the upper echelons of classical pianists.
Released in 2007, it soared to No. 1 on the classical charts and was lauded by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The New Yorker.
Not bad for a self-released album. But it was far from a fluke.
Her follow-up album, The Berlin Concert, also topped the classical charts. Her next album, which will have the backing of Sony Classical, will be announced this coming Spring.
“I am honored to be joining Sony Classical to continue what has been a lifelong dream – recording and performing repertoire to which I feel closely connected,” said Dinnerstein.
“Like so many in our business, I marveled at Simone’s recording of the Goldberg Variations and have wanted to produce records with her ever since,” added Sony Classical President Bogdan Roscic.
“The modern piano has been called a machine-age beast, and Simone is taming it in a unique way, to a level of intimacy and expressivity all her own,” he added in a statement.
Dinnerstein’s New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2005, performing Bach’s Goldberg Variations, set the stage for a world tour.
Her appearances range from recital debuts at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Vienna Konzerthaus, and the Lincoln Center Mostly Mozart Festival to regular club performances at (Le) Poisson Rouge in the West Village.
In between, she has also performed with Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Atlanta Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra.
The Piatigorsky Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing Classical music to non-traditional venues, has featured her since 1996, taking her to nursing homes schools and community centers.
Dinnerstein founded P.S. 321 Neighborhood Concerts, an evening concert series at the Brooklyn public elementary school that her son attends and where her husband teaches fifth grade.
The concerts feature musicians Dinnerstein has admired and collaborated with during her career, and is open to the public. The performances raise funds for the school’s Parent Teacher Association, and the musicians donate their time.
Dinnerstein is a graduate of The Juilliard School where she was a student of Peter Serkin. She was a winner of the Astral Artist National Auditions, and has twice received the Classical Recording Foundation Award.
She also studied with Solomon Mikowsky at the Manhattan School of Music and in London with Maria Curcio, the distinguished pupil of Artur Schnabel.
To watch performance videos and interviews go to SimonDinnerstein