Here’s an appetizer from a 2011 performance of Valentina Lisista at WFMT:
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…a Cinderella story of the electronic age.
It’s impossible to imagine the collective number of lifetimes spent pounding the piano keys, in total isolation, by would-be concert pianists. Along comes Valentina Lisitsa, who put her performances on YouTube. 55,000,000 views later, she’s a superstar. Not only has she electrified the concert world, but she’s raised an enormous following of people who don’t typically listen to classical music at all. Ms. Lisitsa’s cycle of Rachmaninov concertos is out on the Decca label. In celebration, she’s making a special trip to Chicago to play a recital on WFMT. Don’t miss it, Thursday, March 21st at 3:00 PM.

