Ann Schein, pianist

A Life in Review

This is my story up to this moment, “A Life in Review” it might be entitled, in celebration of 60 years of making music, performing and communicating with audiences across the world.

My heart overflows with gratitude for my beloved parents, my incredible teachers, and my family – my “team” in life truly a “Miracle Team – who have unconditionally supported me throughout this journey.

I cannot as well neglect to thank all the critics, writers and commentators whose words you will read here, and who have given so generously of their opinions, encouragement and warm-hearted endorsements in their reviews.

And now I thank you for celebrating with me and joining me in reliving these many unforgettable musical moments!

Glenn Dillard Gunn, Washington Times-Herald, 1950

“Of Ann Schein’s recital played at Barker Hall under the auspices of the Y.W.C.A. it is difficult to write. For she is a precocious child of 11, phenomenally talented, and with a personality matured far beyond her years. So also is her pianistic resource, which proved entirely adequate for Bach-Busoni, Scarlatti, Beethoven (G Major Rondo and Ecosaisses) Chopin (Preludes, Etude F minor, and Chopin-Liszt) and for the atmospheric tone-pictures of Ravel and Debussy.

“Young Ann has a spontaneous gift of address, an intuitive grasp of style and content and, most unusual, a feeling for the modern atmospheric uses of the pedal. She played the music of the impressionists not only upon the keyboard but with liberated and blended sounds of the piano.

“These arts of touch extended not merely to songful Chopin or delicately brilliant Scarlatti, but to the impalpable softness of Ravel’s “Sad Birds” which is a test of all the tonal controls.

“She was heard by a capacity audience that quite overwhelmed her with applause and demanded encores.”