Breakout Bach interpreter to play two shows at Duke

This Friday, Duke will play host to a breakout star in the classical piano world, a late-blooming but chart-topping Bach interpreter.

Simone Dinnerstein has the pedigree and experience to back up her critical and commercial success. Though most classical musicians make their name in their twenties after signing to a label, the 35-year-old Juilliard School graduate captured the critical spotlight in 2007 with her self-financed debut.

In its first week, Bach: Goldberg Variations took the top spot on Billboard's classical albums chart.

"I was completely unprepared for how well it would do, and I think I was in shock for quite a while," Dinnerstein wrote in an e-mail. "I still can't quite take it in."

Since releasing the album, the Brooklyn native has fueled the buzz surrounding her career. From touring with the Dresden Philharmonic and the Czech Philharmonic orchestras to performing at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Dinnerstein has taken her passionate performances on the road and earned critical acclaim for her subtle and emotive interpretations of the music. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that she is "in a league with any of the great Beethoven pianists of our time," and The New York Times' Anne Midgette named the Bach disc one of 2007's best.

In two upcoming concerts at Duke, Dinnerstein will continue her homage to Bach with a performance of "French Suite No. 5 BMC 816," pieces by Franz Schubert and Philip Lasser, featured on Dinnerstein's forthcoming sophomore release, and Beethoven's cello sonatas.

"If we're trying to introduce people to classical music and trying to keep the interest of seasoned listeners, then I think she's the perfect person to present," said Aaron Greenwald, director of Duke Performances.

Dinnerstein will also conduct a public master class tonight from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Baldwin Auditorium.