by Daniel Hathaway
Cleveland-based pianist Halida Dinova, a prizewinner in several international competitions who has made acclaimed recordings on the Doremi, Naxos, Navona, Chandos, and Cantius Classics labels, will be presenting her solo program “Great Piano Miniatures” for piano lovers of all ages and listening experiences at Lakewood’s St. James Catholic Church on Sunday, April 14 at 4:00 pm.
The works on the program span centuries of music history, “telling a story of adventure and deep emotions” in two 35-minute segments. Dinova will perform works by Bach, Scarlatti, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, and Brahms ending with Franz Liszt’s Legend No. 2, “a rare sound picture of St. Francis of Paola crossing the Straits of Messina by walking on the water” that was inspired by a painting in the Vatican.
I reached Halida Dinova by telephone and began by asking if she had ever programmed a recital of all miniature pieces before?