Elena, pianist, my dear friend

Last October 2009, when I was invited by the director of the Rimsky Korsakov International Music Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, unbeknownst to me, a young student, Elena from the conservatory was assigned to me as translator while I was visiting St. Petersburg.

I was assigned another translator during my master class and lecture during the music festival.

Elena told me that 2 months before the festival was to begin, the director requested for volunteers as translator/interpretors for the various foreign participants in the festival, which was to last for a full week (mornings, afternoons, and evenings, everyday). Students who were interested in volunteering must speak fluent english. These volunteers wrote down their names on the bulletin board, not knowing the list of names of the participants in the festival.

Elena was called into the office a month later, and was randomly assigned to me, as my translator outside of the conservatory.

I consider myself the most fortunate person in this world, because Elena and I became friends the moment we met at the airport.

I was introduced to her whole family, and out of their generous heart, accepted me into their family. And we have kept in touch since.

In February 2010, Elena came to visit me in LA for 2 weeks, played the piano, practiced her piano pieces she was preparing for her exams when she was to return back to the conservatory.

When Elena inquired whether she could pay me a visit in the first 2 weeks of February 2010,

by chance, I received at the same time another inquiry from another piano student, Alessia from Switzerland if she could visit me around the same time as Elena.

I said yes to the both of them.

What a blessing it turned out to be