JULY 26, 2005--A teenage pianist is suing a New Jersey music teacher for allegedly shutting a piano keyboard cover on his fingers as he played a Chopin composition during a Carnegie Hall recital last month. According to a Superior Court lawsuit filed earlier this month in Cumberland County.

Bryan O'Lone, 16, claims that he was confronted onstage by Yelena Ivanov during a
June 12, 2005 recital sponsored by the Young Pianist Competition of New Jersey
(YPCNJ), which the 62-year-old Ivanov founded. O'Lone contends that while he had practiced the Chopin piece in advance of the event, when he arrived at the 268-seat Weill Recital Hall he discovered that the program indicated he would instead be performing Beethoven's "Pathetique," a piece O'Lone was not prepared to play.

The boy reported the mixup to YPCNJ Executive Director Lana Ivanov, Yelena's daughter, who told him that he "would have to play the [Beethoven] piece...whether he had practiced it or not," according to
the lawsuit. But after a judge reportedly told him that, "One would think that one could play what one wants when one sits down at the piano," O'Lone "concluded that he was given permission" to do the Chopin piece. However, as he began playing Chopin's Scherzo No. 2, Yelena Ivanov appeared onstage and "physically accosted Bryan and then closed the piano key cover on his fingers," announcing to the audience
that the tuxedo-clad teenager would not be allowed to continue performing. O'Lone, who did not budge from the Weill stage, continued playing after Ivanov walked off, finishing the performance to a "terrific ovation from a packed house." In the audience, O'Lone's family members were stunned, crying, and "embarrassed and publicly humiliated" by Ivanov's attempt
to oust the teenager, who, in two preliminary competitions, bested hundreds of
other young pianists for the Carnegie Hall gig. Since O'Lone was the recital's "only black performer and his family was the only black family in the audience," other attendees "turned to them while Ivanov was trying to remove Bryan from the stage." Along with unspecified punitive and
compensatory damages, O'Lone's lawsuit seeks an apology from the Ivanovs and
the awarding of a $350 prize he won during the preliminary competition. He
also wants a certificate that was awarded to other pianists performing at Carnegie Hall. Ivanov did not respond to TSG messages left at her New Jersey home.

I always knew there's some problems with those outrageously-classically-genius pianist, and to think my mom wanted me to be one LOL!!

Also- possible serious finger injury for a classical pianist and he only asked for $350??

A very interesting article to read that catches my attention. To perform a classical piano sonata consisting of a number of pages by memory needs intensive preparation to be competitive in such a prestigious piano recital at Carnegie Hall (New York). The teenage pianist has the right to refuse performing a masterpiece of which he is not prepared otherwise he will be the laughing stock of the crowd making himself silly in that competition. Filing a lawsuit is the best way to prevent unaccountable incidents that may recur again in future, not necessarily in his case but to other contenders. Furthermore, the dexterity of his fingers remains intact and able to play flawlessly to complete his allotted time during the recital. Fortunately no physical harm on his fingers incurred by the shutting of the piano keyboard cover. This teenage pianist prefers prestige over monetary gain based on the certificate he wants as a compensation, and what is only due for him as a winner during the preliminary round. It will be great to read the feedback on this article to any forum users especially pianists playing classical music?
From Jessie