You pianist? said Rachmaninov. Bad business….

From Frank Salomon Associates:

When Leon Fleisher was 8 years old, his mother took him to hear Rachmaninoff play a recital at the War Memorial Auditorium in San Francisco. As the concert ended, somehow, Mrs. Fleisher had spirited her little boy from the second balcony to the wings of the hall to meet the maestro.

Rachmaninoff,  a tall imposing figure, came off after the last piece, looked down at a speechless Leon and asked, “You pianist?” Leon could only nod his head, to which the great composer and pianist exclaimed, “Bad business, bad business” and strode back on stage to play an encore.

Now, more than 80 years later and having overcome challenges that would have felled most of us, Leon Fleisher is about to celebrate 75 years of making music and his 90th year in 2018-2019. The legendary pianist and conductor, who brings a special musicality and humanity to all he does, will perform at Carnegie Hall; in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, San Francisco; with the Toronto Symphony in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal; with the Baltimore Symphony; and at the Gilmore, Ravinia, and Tanglewood Festivals, among others.