SOF Digital Discussion: A Taste of Bach’s Goldberg Variations
Join us for a short performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations by renowned concert pianist Simone Dinnerstein. Following the brief recital, Dinnerstein will make remarks about the masterful work, dissecting the set of variations, the concept of the canon, and the interesting numerology present in Bach’s masterpiece.
**If you are not currently a member of the Society of Fellows, and wish to join, please contact the SOF team at sof@aspeninstitute.org or 970-544-7980.
Presenter:
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein is known for her “majestic originality of vision” (The Independent) and her “lean, knowing and unpretentious elegance” (The New Yorker). Having performed at such notable institutions as the Kennedy Center and New York’s Joyce Theatre, and with renowned musicians including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philip Glass, and Pam Tanowitz, Dinnerstein has established herself as a rising star on the global stage.
Dinnerstein first attracted attention in 2007 with her self-produced recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. It was a remarkable success, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Classical Chart, and defined Dinnerstein’s distinctive and original approach. The New York Times called her “a unique voice in the forest of Bach interpretation.” Her career has since taken her around the world from Brazil to Japan, and she has made a further eight albums with repertoire from Beethoven to Ravel.
In addition to her robust career, Dinnerstein is committed to musical outreach, playing for the Piatigorsky Foundation and the Louisiana state prison system, as well as creating her Bachpacking initiative, providing access to digital keyboards to elementary school classrooms across the country. A winner of the Astral Artists’ National Auditions, Dinnerstein is on the faculty of the Mannes School of Music and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and Old English Sheepdog, Daisy.