Notes from the Fires host John Rabe had a long conversation recently with maestro Jeffrey Kahane, the pianist and former conductor of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
Notes from the Fires host John Rabe had a long conversation recently with maestro Jeffrey Kahane, the pianist and former conductor of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Announcing LACO's 1996-1997 Season
Courtesy LA Chamber Orchestra
They talked at a Brentwood coffee shop, near where Kahane and his wife Martha are staying with friends until they can go back to their home in Altadena. Spoiler Alert: Neither their house nor Jeffrey’s garage cum music studio burned down, but there is some smoke damage. His pianos and his beloved books and family documents are safe.

Jeffrey Kahane and Notes from the Fires host John Rabe reflected in the lid of Kahane’s Italian Fazioli piano, in a photo taken in his home studio in 2017.
John Rabe

Jeffrey Kahane and his beloved Italian Fazioli piano, in his home studio in 2017.
John Rabe
This is the first part of their conversation. Part Two debuts April 15th.
At the end of this piece, we listen to Kahane performing his own "Variations on America, the Beautiful" on piano.