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| David Chen |
No, not the famous Swiss pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy from Russia, the guy with the Icelandic wife and the five kids, one of whom is also named Vladimir Ashkenazy and is also a pianist. That’s Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy. He lives in Meggen, near Lucerne, about three and a half hours away. That Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is your great uncle, the brother of your grandmother Elena Ashkenazy, teacher at the Moscow Central Music School, and sometime visiting professor of music in Tokyo. She and her brother are children of David Ashkenazy, your great-grandfather, after whom I presume you were named.
No, your father is Vladimir Sverdlov-Ashkenazy, Elena’s son. He’s not only a brilliant composer, but a virtuoso pianist, as well. Winner at age 14 in 1990 of the Central Music School’s First Prize in a piano Competition, and (lest you think he simply rode in on his mother’s coattails) at 16 toured Germany with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and three years later performed Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto with the Israel Symphony Orchestra. Two years after that, in 1997 now, he gave a solo performance at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo and from there went on to become the world-class virtuoso he is today. One Russian journalist even gushed that he is "the new Horowitz!”
Your mother, Lyda was born to Chinese composer and conductor, Robert Chen (Chinese: : 陈亮声; pinyin: Chén Liàngshēng). She is a lawyer and also performs professionally on the viola.
And Lyda’s mother, your other grandmother (besides Elena Ashkenazy, that is) is often referred to as the best-known, most accomplished concert pianist alive today, the Argentine of Catalan Jewish heritage, Martha Argerich.
The question is, “What do you want for breakfast?”
No, your father is Vladimir Sverdlov-Ashkenazy, Elena’s son. He’s not only a brilliant composer, but a virtuoso pianist, as well. Winner at age 14 in 1990 of the Central Music School’s First Prize in a piano Competition, and (lest you think he simply rode in on his mother’s coattails) at 16 toured Germany with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and three years later performed Shostakovich’s First Piano Concerto with the Israel Symphony Orchestra. Two years after that, in 1997 now, he gave a solo performance at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo and from there went on to become the world-class virtuoso he is today. One Russian journalist even gushed that he is "the new Horowitz!”
Your mother, Lyda was born to Chinese composer and conductor, Robert Chen (Chinese: : 陈亮声; pinyin: Chén Liàngshēng). She is a lawyer and also performs professionally on the viola.
And Lyda’s mother, your other grandmother (besides Elena Ashkenazy, that is) is often referred to as the best-known, most accomplished concert pianist alive today, the Argentine of Catalan Jewish heritage, Martha Argerich.
The question is, “What do you want for breakfast?”
Have a look at some of the things David has been up to:
1. Performing a rap number with his cousin, Rafael Milan, on their abuela Martha, aka "Moo-Moo";
2. Playing Ravel with abuela/moo-moo;
3. Playing Rachmaninoff with mama and Vincent Boccadoro.
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