RUSSIAN PIANIST IN AMERICA

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 29 December 1923, Page 10

RUSSIAN PIANIST IN AMERICA

Alexander Sfloti, the eminent Russian pianist and conductor, is nothing if not plain spoken when interviewed. »Not long ago an American journalist called to see Siloti in New York,, wherethe latter is now residing, with a view to eliciting his opinion as to the necessity for establishing in the U.S.A. aNational Conservatory of Music on the broadest possible basis. "This question," says Silotti, "for the musical education of American youth i& most in>portant. lam glad that the Americanshave at last reaHsed that something iswrong here. There is a tendency in America to regard everything from the point of view of its financial success. Such a point of view is catastrophic, for if musical education is to be effective, a music school must be operated without any hope of profits." Those who knwv Siloti's musical-education work in Petrograd in the old days will realise that there he speaks of the book opened unto him.