Beatrice Rana

From left to right, Beatrice Rana performing Debussy’s Pour le piano, iii. Toccata; Mendelssohn’s, Lied ohne Worte, Op. 67, No. 2; Excerpt from Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini; from Chopin’s 12 Études, Op. 25: No. 1 in A-flat major

Reviewing the list of some of the female pianists who are on the Carnegie Hall performance roster this season, I owe a particular vote of thanks for their being sources of both inspiration and learning. 

Beatrice Rana, who performed at Carnegie in November of last year, was born in Copertino in the Puglia region of Italy. Both of her parents are pianists, and she began her studies at age four. Perhaps what impresses me most is her ability to play with both incredible sensitivity and precision, from a repertoire list that includes everything from Bach through to Prokofiev. The fact that she is considered by some to be a poet of the piano seems to me a very appropriate description.

I am also grateful to her because it is she who inspired me to seek out a designer to dress me for my own Carnegie solo recital debut. Rosemarie Umetsu dresses Rana, and counts among her clients many classical musicians, among them Yuja Wang, Lang Lang (she also designs for men), mezzo-sopranos Joyce Di Donato, and Beste Kalender.

Katsuya Ooe, a Japanese designer who studied in Milan under Dame Vivienne Westwood will be dressing me for Carnegie, and I could not be more excited. Not only does his atelier make the gowns, but his specialty is silk, which he has woven and dyed in house. Based on what I have seen so far, I can’t wait to wear the gown once it is finished.

In the coming weeks leading up to my recital I will be sharing more about the work he is doing for me, as I think you will find it truly fascinating.  Meanwhile, my thanks once again to Beatrice Rana for her wonderful musicality and incredible sense of style.

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